My Boys: Better Days
by Jordan202
Summary: This story is a sequel to "My Boys", it sets approximately six months after the first one. It tells the lives of Amelia, Owen and their four sons. Romance, Fluff, Angst, Smut, Drama, Family. Omelia all the way.
1. Chapter 1

Hey Guys!

Thank you all so much for the amazing feedback I've been getting with My Boys. This story is a sequel to it. If you haven't read it, you can find it easily by clicking on my profile and going to my stories.

This one sets about six months after the first one ends.

I hope you all enjoy it!

 **My Boys: Better Days – Chapter One**

Amelia came down the stairs, tying up her hair in a loose bun. She had a long day at work, scrubbing in on seven surgeries. It was already past 9 pm when she was finally able to drive home through the snowy streets of Seattle. As they entered the weeks before the holiday season, every house in the neighborhood was being decorated with colorful lights, Santa dolls and reindeers. Amelia had always been a huge fan of Christmas, but ever since she had been able to celebrate it with her own family, the holidays had become even more special.

After a hot shower and checking on her four sleeping sons, she joined her husband in the living room. Owen was looking through his cell phone while the news played on the TV.

"Baby, are there any dinner leftovers?" Amelia asked as she entered the room.

Owen distractedly put his phone aside to look at her.

"I don't think so, I didn't save any because I thought you would have eaten at the hospital. But if you're hungry I can cook you something."

"Nah, that's ok, I'll just make a sandwich, thanks." She smiled and left to the kitchen.

Owen noticed her toned, naked thighs at the hem of the tiny shorts she was wearing. It was freezing outside, and she was usually cold all the time, but it wouldn't be Amelia if she didn't wear shorts in the winter.

When she made it back to the room, holding a sandwich in one hand and a mug with hot chocolate in the other, Owen stretched out one of his arms, silently inviting her to join him on the couch.

"Something smells good," Owen said as she snuggled next to him, sitting with her folded legs.

"What, the hot chocolate?"

"No, you" Owen smiled at her and touched his nose to the crook of her neck, breathing her in. She smelled like vanilla and clean clothes.

Amelia chuckled when his stubble rubbed on the soft skin of her neck, almost spilling the content of her mug on his leg.

"Be careful, it's hot," She laughed as she reprimanded him, giving Owen the mug. He took it and stole a sip before holding it while she ate the sandwich.

"How were the surgeries today?" Owen asked, shifting on the couch to make himself more comfortable.

"I drained an abscess from a cerebellum today. I can't remember if I had ever performed one of those," Amelia commented casually, finishing her sandwich. "What about you? Busy much?"

"Nah, just the ordinary stuff," Owen flipped through the channels, looking for sports news.

"Not with the football again," Amelia protested, trying to steal the remote, but Owen moved it away from her reach.

"I was here first," Owen hoped to avoid any discussion from her part with that simple argument.

Amelia frowned, but it didn't soften him. When the sports guy started talking about the NFL week, she gave up trying to get his attention and went back to the kitchen to wash her dishes.

"I'm going to bed because I'm exhausted," She informed him "You stay there and finish your news." She scowled at him on purpose, rolling her eyes.

"You can deny all you want, but the truth is you love our team," Owen pointed at her shirt with his eyes. Amelia was wearing a white T shirt with the Seattle Seahawks logo stamped on the front.

Amelia looked down at the shirt, noticing the stamp for the first time. She shrugged, unwilling to admit he was right. Over the years she had been bombarded with every single piece of news about the team her husband and sons loved so much, she had actually become a fan of the game herself.

Amelia laid on the bed, snuggling the soft pillows. She didn't like going to bed alone, it felt cold and empty but she was so tired from spending the entire day standing up in the OR that she really needed to lie down and relax her muscles. She dozed off almost instantly, but minutes later, she woke up when Owen softly slid beneath the duvet, his chest touching her back gently as he tried not to wake her.

Amelia shifted lightly, leaning against him and pulling his arm around her waist. Once he realized she was awake, Owen buried his face on her hair, giving her a kiss on the cheek. She wasn't surprised when his hand grasped her chin possessively, bringing her to face him so he could kiss her at his will. Owen brushed his lips with her, gently making her open her mouth to deepen the kiss for a good few seconds.

"And now you can go back to sleep," Owen teased, running his fingers through her hair to caress her as he pulled apart.

Amelia smiled with her eyes closed, nestled in his arms and finally relaxed enough to fall into a deep sleep.

"Momma, can we write ours letters to Santa today?" Thomas asked cheerfully at the breakfast table the next morning. "My teacher said it's already time to put it on the mail."

"Sure we can," Amelia replied, pouring herself a cup of coffee "What are you guys asking Santa this year?"

"I was a good boy," Lucas said without modesty "So I'm gonna ask for the new lego that has the big fireman station."

Amelia thought to herself that was an easy one. She waited to see if Thomas would also cooperate with her Christmas shopping.

"I want a gas station for my cars," Thomas said, a big smile on his face "Do you think Santa can make one that comes with a parking garage too, mom?"

"I am sure he will try very hard," Amelia made a mental note not to forget about the parking garage when she went out to buy their presents.

"I love Santa," Lucas said, taking another bite of his eggs.

"He loves you right back," Amelia grinned, thinking how much longer it would take the boys to find out that the Santa Klaus who they visited every year at the hospital was actually Alex Karev in a costume.

Later that day, Amelia helped the boys fold and finish the letters they'd written to Santa. She noticed, not for the first time, that while Thomas could easily write all letters and vowels, despite still being in kindergarten, Lucas, who had already started 1st grade in the fall, was still struggling to write appropriately. Aside from his own name, there was hardly anything else that was understandable in his letter, and more than a few times, the letters were mirror-written.

Amelia left out a sigh and decided she needed to do something about it. She and Owen had spoken to Lucas's teacher more than once about the same problem, but had been told some kids struggle a little more than others to learn the alphabet. Amelia knew deep inside her that was probably not Lucas's problem, he had always shown signs of an above average intelligence and his speech was very fluent. Things were just not adding up. So, after talking to Owen, they decided to schedule an appointment with his pediatrician to investigate what might be causing Lucas's difficulty.

After setting up the dishwasher, Amelia sat on the kitchen counter, sorting the mail. Owen noticed his wife's bare feet hanging from the marble counter, moving back and forth. He loved it how she managed to look so beautiful, relaxed, and happy, even after pulling long hours at work.

"Did you know we have a subscription for National Geographic?" Amelia frowned, opening the bill "Have we ever received an issue? Like, ever?"

"We sure have," Owen informed her, putting the leftovers from dinner on the fridge. "I read it every month."

"And what do you do with it afterwards? Because I've never seen it around," Amelia asked provocatively, laughing at the situation. According to the bill, the subscription was on her name. She didn't remember ever signing it.

Owen was about to tell her he stacked them in the coffee table in the living room, as he had done for the past six months, but his cell phone buzzed and he got distracted by it.

"Owen?" Amelia tried to bring him down to Earth "Do you have a new secret you need to tell me about?" She kept on her playful voice. Owen looked at her in confusion, and Amelia explained "You've been on your phone a _lot_ , lately. I'm just wondering if there's something new I should know about… New research, new employee, new girlfriend…"

Owen immediately looked into her eyes and Amelia burst out laughing, making him loosen up too.

"Nope, just a bunch of emails pilling up on my inbox," Owen answered honestly and Amelia believed him. He took one step closer, still tapping on his phone and got within Amelia's reach. She wrapped her legs around his hips, keeping him near her while his free hand ran through her back, beneath her shirt. "Actually… I wasn't going to bring this up, but it's the Army that's been sending me all these emails."

"The Army?" Amelia asked in confusion, swallowing hard. She was actually afraid of what she would hear next.

"No, nothing like that," Owen saw the terror in her eyes and dropped his phone on the counter, cupping her cheek with his hand "It's not another tour or anything like that," He noticed Amelia had relaxed and let out a breath she probably didn't know she had been holding. "They've invited me to a camp in Charleston. A new team of doctors is deploying soon and they wanted me as an instructor. You know, someone who's been on the field long enough and who has been through… well… bad circumstances. They thought I could help the new team by sharing previous experiences so the surgeons know what's expecting them on the field."

"And do you want to go?" Amelia placed her hand on the top of his that was resting on her face.

"I can't," Owen confessed, visibly disappointed "It's a three week program. I could never leave you here alone with the kids for so long."

"Babe, if you want to go, we can work something out," Amelia said, trying to be supportive. She knew Owen loved the military and even though he had retired a long time ago, in his heart he had never stopped being an army man.

"Absolutely not," Owen brought her hands together with his and kissed her knuckles "All I want to do is stay here with you and the boys."

"But it sounds like…"

"It sounds like there is nothing left to decide," Owen interrupted her, and to make sure she wasn't going to insist on the subject, he stole her attention with an insistent kiss.

The following week, Amelia entered the hospital on a Wednesday morning holding hands with Lucas. She had dropped off the rest of the gang on the way to work, and would meet Owen at work after his night shift, so they both could be present for their oldest son's consult.

The minute Lucas stepped into the hall he was instantly recognized as Owen Hunt's son and a lot of people waved from distance or said hello. Amelia noticed with a smile how her six old year loved the attention and got into the elevator with him, skipping the surgical floor straight to the Pediatric Wing.

Dr. Oliver Davis was a man in his fifties and had been a pediatrician for nearly thirty years. After a thorough history and simple neurological exams, he decided to keep Lucas scheduled for a follow up, but his final opinion was that Lucas had a very good chance of being dyslexic.

Amelia and Owen, being doctors and attentive parents, weren't exactly surprised with the very likely diagnosis, but Amelia felt like a piece of her heart had been ripped from her chest. Later that day, as she helped Lucas with his homework, she started to wonder how was it fair that her perfectly healthy and happy child had to go through that. Lucas was still young, but the condition would affect him his entire life, and he would struggle a lot, especially in school.

The thought of her adored son being hurt or feeling unworthy because of the neurological condition made Amelia cringe. She didn't want that for Lucas, no mother would want it. She knew it was possible to live with dyslexia and actually succeed academically, but she feared Lucas's motivation in school would take a toll. He had never struck her or Owen as a much disciplined kind, and deep down in heart she knew this was going to play a big role on her son's school years.

"This is not a death sentence, Amelia," Owen tried to comfort her, after seeing his wife standing by the living room window, aimlessly gazing through the glass doors to the snow outside.

"I know," She said distractedly.

"Davis isn't sure if he can call it dyslexia. He said frequent mistakes in spelling, reading and writing are to be expected at this age. We can't know for sure yet."

"Oh, I know," Amelia said. In her heart she knew Oliver Davis was right.

"Babe, this is _not_ a prediction of failure," Owen took one step closer, joining her. "He will still learn. We will support him, always. And we will make sure he knows he is bright, and creative and smart and that we will love him no matter what."

"This is going to affect his self esteem, Owen. He will often be frustrated and he will think he is dumb."

Amelia understood about feeling unfit or unworthy. She didn't want that for any of her boys, ever.

"We will be here to make sure he doesn't feel that way," Owen reached out to her and Amelia wrapped both arms around his shoulders, needing that hug more than ever.

Owen knew there wasn't much else he could say. As a parent, he felt the stabbing pain too. Their son had a chronic condition that could be lessened, but never cured. Lucas was six years old and he would have to go through life struggling to learning. The thought of that made Owen immediately want to take away the pain from his son, but he know he couldn't. Unfortunately, Lucas would have to grow up and face the world with.

"I wish he could stay forever young," Amelia said, as if reading Owen's mind "I wish he could stay forever in my arms so I could protect him from everything."

Owen chuckled, understanding the feeling very well himself.

"Me too. But unfortunately, we can't. We can't shield him from the world. All we can do is prepare him the best way possible to defend himself. And that, we can do together."

Amelia still felt sad and heartbroken when she went to bed that night, but she didn't feel so scared anymore. Owen's words had a calming and comforting effect on her, as usual. She was still worried and upset about Lucas's condition, but she knew they would have the strength to get through it.

For her family, she was capable of anything.

Thoughts?


	2. Chapter 2

Hey Guys, here Goes a fast Update. I hope you all like it, let me know!

 **My Boys –** **Chapter 12**

"Amelia, this is not the best way to do that," Owen tried to be gentle as he observed Amelia's awful gift wrapping skills "It shouldn't have loose ends." He explained, trying hard not to be cynical.

Amelia gave him an icy glance and sighed out loud.

"Fine," She gave up, more amused than she would ever admit "You finish this and I'll go make us coffee."

It was early Saturday morning, and they were using the time when the boys were still asleep to wrap the Christmas gifts they had gotten during the week. The kitchen table held a pile of cars, balls, lego sets, and action figures.

"Who's getting a plush Darth Vader figure?" Owen frowned at the toy, inspecting it.

"Danny. You know how obsessed with Star Wars he's become."

"This is just wrong," Owen scowled at the toy "Darth Vader isn't supposed to be cute and fluffy. He is dark and cruel."

"Exactly," Amelia stared at him. "I don't want my toddler with an evil doll. The cute one is more positive." She argued.

"I should just give to this to Lucas," Owen wrapped the gift against his will, "Imagine me saying this, 'Luke, I am your father.'"

Amelia unwillingly laughed at his horrible joke and filled two mugs with steamy hot coffee.

"We should hide those before one of the boys decides to wake up," She picked up a pile of wrapped boxes and took them to the guest room, where they could lock the presents, making sure the boys wouldn't find them before Christmas morning.

"Hey, you know I have a shift tonight, right?" Owen asked as he followed Amelia to the living room "I was thinking we could take the boys to the skate rink and have dinner there? I can take a cab to the hospital if you don't mind driving them back home by yourself."

"No, that sounds great," Amelia put the last wrapped box on the top of the pile and locked the door after her "You know what, Maggie mentioned Andrew is on call this weekend too, I think I'll see if she wants to come over tonight."

Later that day, Maggie helped Amelia put the boys to sleep. After that, they went to the living room, sat down on the couch with junk food on the coffee table to catch up on each other's lives. Maggie shared the amazing news she and Deluca were expecting their first baby. No one knew about it yet because she was only seven weeks along, but she couldn't help not telling her best friend.

Amelia shared with Maggie the awful news they'd gotten earlier that week about Lucas's likely diagnosis. Maggie tried not to freak out and be supportive, but Amelia could tell she was deeply saddened by it too. She really appreciated how caring and loving Maggie was not only towards her, but also with her children.

"Also, this week Owen told me he's been getting pretty much summoned by the Army," Amelia confessed, later that same night "They want him to go away to South Carolina for a couple of weeks to help train rookie surgeons for the line of duty."

"Is he going?" Maggie asked, filling a spoonful of ice cream. Ever since she'd gotten pregnant her appetite had practically doubled.

"He says he doesn't want to, but I know he does," Amelia confessed. "I feel good that he doesn't want to leave us here, but I know this would make him really happy, you know? I told him he should go."

"It's a lot of time to be alone with the boys, Amelia. I can see why he is hesitant," Maggie pondered.

"Yeah, I guess you're right but Owen is really passionate about the military. I know he misses it. Sometimes I feel guilty because I knew if it wasn't for us, he probably would have signed up for another tour. I don't get it, but somehow being there makes him happy. He has a family now and I know in my heart he loves us and would never leave us. But I also know he would be excited to be able to serve his country again, even if it's not on the line of duty."

"It makes sense," Maggie showed support "Well, if he does decide to go, we can make arrangements. I can help you out with the boys."

"Yeah?" Amelia said, thankful.

"Of course," Maggie smiled "It's just for a few weeks, it's not gonna be a problem. Besides, I'm gonna need all the practice I can get. After I moved out of Mer's, I became childless."

Amelia laughed with her sister and secretly hoped Maggie would have a boy, so they could have that in common too.

"I love being a mom to boys," Amelia said, honestly "They drive me crazy most of the time with their never ending energy, but I like it that they're explosive, and fierce and curious about the world all the time. They are driven. But you're probably more the mother of girl kind, I guess."

Maggie frowned for a second, but after remembering how all over the place Amelia's boys were all the time, she thought of Zozo and Ellis, two very sweet girls who were just as smart and creative, but much less troublesome.

"I think you're right," Maggie realized, moving her hand to her still flat stomach "You're gonna get me hoping for a girl now, Amelia, damn it." She laughed when she saw Amelia was having fun with it. "What about you? No girls?"

"God, you sound like Owen!" Amelia rolled her eyes playfully. Maggie raised her eyebrows in question and Amelia explained, dismissively "Owen has been bugging me lately that we should try and have a girl. I think it's an insane idea. We have four children, they're more than enough, _believe_ me." Amelia opened another bag of chips.

"But wouldn't you like it?" Maggie daydreamed "I mean, how nice would it be if you had a little girl, Amelia? We both could have girls and they could grow up together and be like sisters. Like us." Maggie tried to sound convincing.

Amelia thought about it for a while, imagining a mini version of each one of them, in piggy tails in their school clothes.

"I guess that would be pretty darn cute…" Amelia gave in, smiling fondly "But no! No more babies." She decided, for the hundredth time.

Maggie wasn't done trying to convince her sister. When they realized the blizzard that had formed outside, both agreed it was better if Maggie spent the night rather than risk driving in the awful weather, but that didn't keep them from talking about their lives until late in the night.

.

Maggie had her share of training when the Nanny Cam woke up Amelia at 2 in the morning because Danny had lost his green stuffed dinosaur and couldn't find it in the darkness. Almost an hour later, Maggie was startled by Thomas, who had climbed into their bed looking for his mom because he really needed to pee and couldn't reach the bathroom lights.

It was past 4 am when Maggie was finally able to relax again and finally fall into a deep sleep.

.

Owen got home the following morning, after a busy 12 hour night shift in the ER. Every time it snowed, people seemed to come up with great ideas to do dangerous things outside like going up their rooftops to fix things or drive after having too much eggnog. He had been up most of the night dealing with minor cases, mostly domestic accidents.

Much to his surprise, Amelia wasn't up when he entered the house, despite it being several minutes past 7 am. He made his way upstairs, loosening his tie, and was startled to find out there wasn't one, but two people sleeping in his bed.

Amelia, who was awake but not up yet, smiled lazily at him when she saw his figure cross the bedroom door. Owen noticed the amazing blue of her eyes in the dimly lit room. Every morning, when she woke up, they had this amazing shade of grayish blue that matched so perfectly with her dark hair and cartoon-stamped white shirt.

Careful not to wake up Maggie, Owen went around the bed and kneeled down on the floor by Amelia's side, whispering in her ear:

"Whoa, I imagined two women in my bed lots of time before, but it usually involved nudity and something sexier than Spongebob pajamas."

Amelia muffled her laughter, wrapping both arms around Owen's neck to bring him closer. His face was still cold from the air outside. The weather wasn't going to give a break any time soon, it appeared.

"Maggie couldn't go home because of the blizzard," She whispered back to him, lying on her back so she could be face to face to him "How was your night?"

"Awful," Owen shared honestly, noticing the outline of his wife's breasts against the white shirt "Too many minor cases, which means I hardly got any rest at all."

"Aw, I'm sorry," Amelia struck his hair gently, sitting up "Do you want to go take a shower while I make you breakfast?"

"It's very early and the boys won't be up for another two hours, go back to sleep, babe," Owen tried to convince her, but he knew once Amelia was awake, she was instantly loaded with energy.

"Don't wake up Maggie," Amelia instructed him, trying her best to climb out of the bed silently "She needs her rest now she's doing everything for two."

"Really?!" Owen's eyes glowed in the dark, his smile forming small wrinkles around his blue globes.

"Yes, but shh, she hasn't told anyone yet, we're keeping it a secret," Amelia followed him to the en suite.

Owen closed the door behind him and got rid of his clothes while Amelia brushed her teeth.

"This is great news for Maggie," Owen said, turning on the hot shower "She will be a great mom."

Amelia agreed and left him to relax and get cleaned, while she rushed downstairs. Night shifts were always a bummer, especially for the ER workers, who would catch no breaks if the influx was busy. She took a peek outside; it was still dark and heavy gray clouds were gathered in the sky. The sun hadn't risen yet and the tiles of the kitchen floor made her shiver on that cold Sunday morning.

After fifteen minutes, Owen joined her in the kitchen, wearing sweatpants and a V-neck shirt. Amelia felt his arms wrapping around her waist from behind as she finished putting two loaves of bread in the toaster.

"You're wet," She bit her lower lip when the water droplets from his washed hair sprinkled on her neck.

Owen kept one hand around her delicate frame and used the other to reach for a coffee mug on the shelf above their heads. He didn't bother to reply, keeping himself busy in brushing his lips against the skin of her neck instead.

"So," Amelia spun around in his arms after putting his toasts on a plate "I was thinking," She said, taking both his hands in hers.

"That's never a good warning," Owen smiled, openly mocking her with a loving smile.

"Ha-ha" Amelia joined him in the fun, "Really though, I mean this, Owen. I think you should go to Charleston."

"Babe, I've told you, there's no need to-,"

"Owen," Amelia interrupted him "Look, you want this, and I want you to go. It's gonna be good for you. You love trauma surgery but what you're really, _really_ passionate about is being an Army surgeon. I'd rather have you being that inside the safety of our borders than to see you deploying, or to see you sad because you've missed out on an opportunity as great as this. I know it's a great honor they've invited you out of all people. I'm proud of that," She splayed her hands on his chest, watching as he took a bite from the toast "I think you should go. Maggie has agreed to give me a hand with the kids and there's also your mom, who I know won't mind coming over if I need her. It's all going to work out."

Owen seemed hesitant for a minute, but once he processed what Amelia had said, it was hard to keep pretending he didn't want to say yes to the offer.

"But I feel bad leaving you and the boys for three weeks." He stated the biggest reason that was holding him back.

"We'll do fine without you."

"Well, not too fine, I hope," He chuckled and sat on a chair, seeing Amelia stand right next to him.

"Never," She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed his head. "If you don't come back I'll follow you to the ends of the earth," She meant every word. "Can you imagine that, a caravan with a crazy wife and four little beasts bursting into your army camp to demand you came back home?"

"You're definitely scarier than my commanding officers when you're mad," Owen joked, "the unit won't know what kind of Hurricane hit them," He joked, making the choice of words on purpose.

Amelia laughed and kept her embrace on his back.

"When do you have to go?" She asked, trying to get used to the idea.

" _If_ I go," Owen reminded her "Probably right after New Year's Eve."

Amelia knew it was soon, but also it wouldn't make sense if they contacted him to train out doctors who weren't deploying any time soon.

She had just sat down to join him in the meal when Amelia caught sight of Thomas coming down the stairs, still rubbing his eyes.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," She immediately walked towards him and picked him up, feeling his body still warm from the covers. "Momma loves you so much." Thomas lazily curled up on her arms, using her shoulder as a pillow while his mom kissed him good morning.

"Hey, nugget," Owen squeezed his nose lightly, getting a smile from his son "Did you sleep well?"

Thomas nodded affirmatively, still not awake enough to speak.

Owen got busy preparing a bowl of cereal for the boy while Amelia sat down on one of their chairs with him, running her hand through Thomas's long strands of silver blond hair.

"You need a haircut," She realized, while Thomas still yawned "Did you go potty when you woke up? I don't see any brushed teeth here either."

The boy didn't protest when Amelia took him to the nearest bathroom to do both. Once they were back, Owen waited for them in the living room with Thomas's breakfast ready in a bowl. He turned on the TV on a classic cartoon channel and Thomas again snuggled next to his mom, as he sat on her lap eating his cereal.

About an hour later, Maggie came down the stairs, holding the hand of each twin on one side of her.

"Oh, Maggie, crap, I forgot to turn off the cam when I came downstairs, I'm sorry," Amelia felt bad "But wait, they didn't cry, I would have heard them."

"They were already wide awake in their cribs when I found them," Maggie confessed "But none of them were making a noise. Two perfect gentlemen."

Amelia welcomed the twins, who smiled when they saw their mom.

"Good morning, Maggie," Owen smiled at her, almost proudly.

"You told him, didn't you?" Maggie laughed at Amelia's incapability of hiding anything from Owen.

"Sorry…?" Amelia tried to sound regretful.

"It's no problem at all, I knew he'd know the moment I told you," Maggie teased, sitting next to Owen "Hi Tommy. You're an early birdie."

"Someone has to keep up with me," Amelia teased, going to the kitchen to prepare the bottles for the twins.

Maggie left shortly after, hopeful she would find Deluca in time for breakfast. Owen was almost asleep on the couch when Lucas finally rose from his bed, shortly after 9 am. He joined his brothers on the play mat in the living room and Amelia noticed her husband's sad predicament.

"Go to bed, babe," She pulled him up, gently "You can barely keep your eyes open. I'll wake you up for lunch, I promise."

Owen tried to protest, but Amelia was insistent.

"Go lie down on a decent bed, the kids will definitely make a noise and wake you up if you stay here," She finally made him stand up "I'll take care of lunch."

"You're the best," Owen admitted, longing for a couple of hours of uninterrupted rest.

"I'll charge you with interest later," She gave him a naughty smile from the corner of her lips.

Owen laughed and went upstairs feeling more driven than before.

Resting was his main priority now, but he could barely wait for that part of the day Amelia had just promised.


	3. Chapter 3

My Boys – Chapter 13

"Where is Amelia, you're going to be late!" Evelyn Hunt pointed out to her son, as she helped entertain the kids.

Owen looked around the living room in search of his wife. He was dressed in his camo Army Combat Uniform, ready to catch the 7 pm flight to Charleston, where he had to report for duty the following morning.

"I'll go look for her. Maggie, can you please make sure the back door is locked?" Owen asked, as he left the living room going towards the stairs .

It was the second week of January and Owen was leaving for three weeks to help the Army as an instructor. His mother and Maggie had come over to say goodbye and help out with the kids, so Amelia could drive him to the airport. But at the moment, she was nowhere to be found.

After a thorough search of every room upstairs, Owen heard a muffled sound coming from the inside of their bedroom closet. Slowly, he opened the door, only to find Amelia sitting on the floor in one corner of the small space, her arms wrapped around her legs while she kept her face buried in her knees.

"Amelia, are you okay?" Owen was genuinely concerned "What are you doing in there?"

"Is it time to go yet?" She looked up at him and he noticed the teary eyes and red cheeks. Amelia sniffed lightly. Owen could tell she'd been crying.

"Babe, what's wrong?" Wasting no time, Owen got down on the floor and sat beside her, gently taking her hand in his "Are you having second thoughts about this? Do you want me to stay? Because I'll stay if…"

"No," Amelia interrupted him, smiling discreetly "I don't know what's gotten into me, it seems that lately I've become a sap. First I cried because of that handwritten Christmas card the boys gave me and now I'm crying because I'll miss you. I don't know why I am so emotional."

"Well, there's nothing wrong with that," Owen pointed out, wisely.

"Of all the social conventions ever invented, this is the stupidest one," She pointed out. Owen knew Amelia hated goodbyes. She had once made him promise that if he ever left her, he wouldn't ever give a farewell, but simply get up and go. Owen didn't plan on leaving her, at all, but he still remembered how she absolutely loathed saying goodbye.

"I know you hate to do this," Owen kissed her hand "But we have to go, babe. We're gonna be late."

"Okay," She gave in, trying not to think about it too much, otherwise she would wrap her arms around his neck and never let him go.

Owen said his goodbye to his mother, Maggie and the kids. They had been told their father was going on a work trip and would be absent for a while, but he would still call and facetime every day. Lucas and Thomas were very anxious, but excited at the same time when they saw their father in his Army clothes.

At the airport, Amelia parked the car and was about to suggest Owen leave at once, but he still had forty minutes before he needed to board. At his insistence, Amelia joined him at coffee shop next to his gate.

"I hate knowing I won't see you for twenty one whole days," She confessed, avoiding his gaze. She didn't want to break down, and it appeared lately she often felt prone to.

"Me too," Owen replied, looking at her face, realizing she was avoiding his look "Amelia?" He demanded her attention, which she reluctantly gave him "I love you."

Amelia got up from her chair and went around the table to stand in front of him. She ran her hands along his shoulders, and around his head at the same time his strong arms involved her waist in an intimate embrace. Owen pressed the side of his face to her stomach, feeling her hands running through his hair.

"In seven years, this is the first time I'll go more than two days without seeing you," She declared. Except for when they had night shifts in alternate days, they had never gone by so much time without each other's presence "I'm gonna miss you like hell."

When a voice on the speaker starting calling the passengers to Owen's flight, he got up from his chair and stood in front of her.

"Send my love to the boys and tell them I love them everyday, ok?" He rubbed her cheeks with his thumbs as he held her face in his hands, smiling adoringly at her while she struggled to keep her cool "Don't neglect taking care of yourself. Call me if anything happens. And don't forget, I love you."

"I love you too, so much," Amelia buried her face on his shoulder, sobbing. She felt incapable of keeping herself together anymore when Owen hugged her tightly.

"I gotta go, babe. You're on my team, don't forget that ever." He said, unwillingly letting go of her and grabbing his bag.

Before he crossed the gate, he turned back one more time, whispering a silent I love you before blowing Amelia a kiss. She wrapped her arms around herself, concentrating on holding back her tears. If she started to cr1y, she wasn't sure she'd be able to stop.

The drive home was a sad one. Evelyn and Maggie had given the boys dinner while Amelia was gone. Even though her mother-in-law offered to stay for the night, Amelia insisted she went home, knowing Evelyn had already been generous enough. Maggie left shortly after too and by 9 pm, when all boys were peacefully sleeping in their beds.

Amelia took the textbook she had been reading to the living room, but soon the silence started to consume her. Owen wasn't there to distract her, and she felt a fit of anxiety when she thought it would still be three weeks before she could touch him or see him again.

What if she couldn't do it? What if she wasn't capable of taking care of the house and the kids while doing her job? Ever since she had married Owen, she had never been alone. They did everything together. How was she supposed to get up in the morning, make breakfast and still get the kids ready for school in time without making any of them late? How was she supposed to cook dinner every night and help the boys with their homework at the same time? Owen got a lot done around the house and she wasn't sure she could fill in for him whilst still doing her share of the tasks.

If anything went wrong, Owen wouldn't be at the hospital, at a twenty minutes drive distance. He would be across the country, three thousand miles away. When she got home exhausted after a long day of work or excited about anything, there would be no one there to listen to her and share her joys and sorrows.

With a growing empty feeling inside her, Amelia went upstairs to her bedroom. She turned on the nanny cam on the twins' bedroom, but the cold sheets and the silence in the room made her feel lonelier. She tried to sleep, but all she could do was roll back and forth, trying to relax.

At 11 pm, she turned on the TV. The relaxing voice of the anchorman she and Owen liked to watch together gave her a familiar soothing sensation and she was able to relax. A couple of hours later, she woke up with a buzz on her cell phone. It was a text from Owen saying he had arrived safely and was now in the base. She couldn't call him but he would try to contact her again soon.

When she got up before the break of dawn, Amelia felt like she had gotten almost no rest. Dragging her feet to the kitchen, she prepared the boys' breakfast and then went upstairs to wake them, a task that was usually Owen's.

For the next week, Amelia went through many sleepless nights and early days. She thought about taking some time off from work, but there was a long line of patients who came from all over the country for her consult and Bailey would freak out if she took an absence of leave without proper planning first.

At night, Amelia had started the habit of alternating having either the twins or Lucas and Thomas in her bed at night. She loved to sleep snuggling up to them and somehow it made it easier for her to relax at night and get some rest. She knew she was sleep deprived and wasn't eating properly, going against Owen's wish that she took care of herself, but the truth was that there was just no time. All day long, when she wasn't working she was either preparing meals for her sons, or helping out with their homework, or spending quality time with them.

Lucas required more attention than ever now, especially with his homework. Amelia liked to sit down every night and follow what progress he had made that day, to give him words of encouragement and support him through the complicated process of alphabetization. The boys asked about Owen all the time and even though their father called almost every day, his long absence was taking its toll on them. They were acting out more often than ever, which only added to Amelia's frustration and desire that those three weeks passed by as quickly as possible.

Ten days after Owen had left, Amelia was on a trauma surgery with Maggie and Riggs when she heard the latter saying:

"That old bastard husband of yours really makes a difference around here," Riggs joked with his thick accent "Kepner is in over her head downstairs to run the place with one attending short."

Amelia and Maggie laughed at his predicament. Riggs usually spoke without filtering his thoughts. He was blatantly honest and Amelia found that charming and endearing.

"Kepner is in over her head downstairs and I'm the same way at home," She said, skillfully moving her hands as her resident assisted on the field "I can't hire a temporary husband but I figured they'd hire some sort of replacement downstairs."

"Webber is pulling some extra shifts to help out," Maggie informed them. "Also, did you hear they hired a new attending for Emergency Medicine?"

"Is he hot?" Riggs jokingly asked, purposely trying to make Maggie blush, which worked.

"I didn't notice," Maggie replied, feeling her face burn. She had noticed, and the man was very hot, indeed.

Amelia kept laughing at Riggs trying to trap Maggie into admitting she noticed men at work.

"You, you looked tired," Riggs moved his target from Maggie to Amelia "What happened? Long night?"

"Long week," Amelia corrected him "I have barely been getting any sleep these past few days. I'm drained. Last night Danny woke up twice and on the last time, it took me nearly two hours to make him go back to sleep."

"They're probably missing Owen," Maggie said with a sympathetic voice. "It must be hard for them to understand, especially for the twins."

"Well, enjoy your freedom while you still can," Amelia advised Maggie. Now that she was twelve weeks along, she had told people about the pregnancy and everyone was thrilled for her and Andrew Deluca.

They went on with the surgery and after it, Amelia found Maggie in the attendings lounge. They chose a quiet corner to sit down and talk, far from Jackson Avery and Alex Karev, who were happily chatting over lunch on a table across the room.

"I'm not saying this to make you feel bad, but," Maggie tried to be careful with her words "You do look exhausted, Amelia. Are you sure you're ok? I can take the boys home tonight if you need to sleep."

"I'm tired, more tired than I thought I'd be in Owen's absence, but I am managing," Amelia said, feeling grateful she had amazing people in her life she could count on. Maggie noticed she had dark mark around her eyes and she looked like she had lost weight.

"Are you sure? I can also come over to help if you want."

"You sound like Evelyn," Amelia smiled at her best friend.

"Let me know, alright," Maggie smiled, handing Amelia a cup of coffee, which she refused "You're doing this without coffee? Wow, you're tougher than I thought."

"Coffee has been giving me nausea lately," Amelia confessed, dismissively.

Maggie shrugged and focused on telling Amelia about her plans for the baby. At 4 pm, Amelia finished updating all of her patients' charts and got ready to leave, deciding to stop by the cafeteria on her way out. She would drive from the hospital straight to her children's daycare and kindergarten and it would be hours before she could actually sit down to eat, so she'd better have a snack before she was off for the day.

Amelia was just about to pick a muffin from the display case when she distractedly heard the clerk saying out loud:

"Here is your change, Dr. Peterson. Enjoy your meal."

Amelia looked sideways and couldn't believe what her eyes saw.

"James!" She exclaimed, before she could realize what was happening.

The man glanced over his shoulder, not quite believing it either.

"Amelia," He approached her holding a tray of food "Whoa, you're… You look great." He struggled to hide his amazement.

"Thanks?" Amelia wasn't quite sure what to say. Never in a million years had she ever imagined she would see her ex-fiancé again, especially in Seattle. He looked exactly the same, except for the hair, which was shorter and had a trimmed cut. "What are you doing here?" She couldn't hide her surprise.

"I work here," James said casually, giving her a teasing smile.

"No, you don't," Amelia said awkwardly.

"I do," James confirmed, walking to a nearby table and indicating she should accompany him. He sat down but Amelia stayed up "I started working here last week."

"Oh… Oh!" Amelia's eyes were wide with surprise when she realized he was probably the new emergency medicine attending Maggie had mentioned. "I didn't know you had moved here."

"My wife's company transferred her, so we moved the whole family." He explained. Amelia had no idea he was married, let alone if he had any kids. She hadn't spoken to him in almost a decade and to be honest, it felt really weird to stand there and catch up like old friends. "How have you been?" He asked, not looking uncomfortable at all.

"I am good," Amelia lied. "What about you?"

"Not so bad either," James said, still smiling at her. For some reason, Amelia felt like she was genuinely surprised to see him but he didn't seem that much surprised to see her. "Why don't you sit down and have a snack with me?"

"Oh no, thanks," Amelia tried to get out of there as fast as possible. It was awkward enough that she had to see him like that, after their break up over the phone years before "I have to go pick up my kids from school. But it was nice seeing you," She said politely, waving him goodbye.

"I hope I'll see you more often!" James nearly shouted, making people around them turn their heads to look.

Amelia faked a smile and got out of the cafeteria, not bothering to look back. She couldn't believe James Peterson was living in Seattle, let alone working in the same hospital as she. She had no idea when exactly he had been hired, so she wondered if James and Owen had been introduced yet. Would Owen have recognized him by his name? Probably not. Owen knew she was engaged to a man named James when she lived in Los Angeles, but she doubted she had ever mentioned James's last name.

In fact, she barely remembered mentioning James at all. It truly didn't matter, Amelia thought. James was her past and at the sight of him, she hadn't felt anything. It was awkward being around someone she had once been so close to and who now was a complete stranger. But that was manageable. She just had to make sure she would see him as little as possible.

"Maggie!" Amelia nearly yelled, covering her face with an untied OR mask "I need to talk to you."

Maggie Pierce looked up from the open chest on her surgical table to the desperate eyes of her sister. She frowned questioningly, wondering if Amelia realized she was in the middle of a delicate operation, but all Amelia did was signal with her eyes that she need Maggie out of there as soon as possible.

"Can't it wait?" Maggie asked, hopelessly.

Amelia gently moved her neck sideways, silently saying 'no'. Maggie sighed heavily and asked her fifth year resident if he felt comfortable taking over. Then she walked outside, closely following Amelia.

When they entered an empty supply room, Maggie took out her mask forcefully.

"You just took me out of a valve replacement! I hope this is important because…"

"I think I'm pregnant," Amelia blatantly interrupted her.

Maggie was appalled for a good few seconds. Then her brown eyes widened in disbelief and amazement. That definitely justified being taken away from the OR.

"Amelia! What, how come? This is great!" She smiled tenderly but then she noticed Amelia's heavy frown "It's not great?" She half affirmed, half asked.

"Are you crazy, I don't want any more babies, I've made that pretty clear," Amelia angrily whispered, trying not to cause a scene inside a tiny room "Maggie, I need you to draw my blood and confirm it for me."

"Wait, where did this idea come from? Are you ok?" Maggie took her hand to Amelia's forehead to check her temperature, but Amelia nearly slapped her arm, getting out of her reach.

"Maggie, come on, will you help me?"

Maggie went outside and grabbed a simple blood drawing kit. While she searched for a vein in Amelia's forearm, she heard her anxious sister explaining.

"Ok, so remember how exhausted I've been these past few weeks?" When Maggie nodded affirmatively, Amelia proceeded "And also, remember how I'm complaining that I've been a little too emotional? Well last night I couldn't sleep so I was thinking about it. And I tried to remember if I have ever felt like that in my life, and guess what, I have. Last time I would cry like a baby for no reason I was pregnant with the twins and it went exactly like this, except I felt really nauseous so that was the only symptom that stuck with me. "Ouch!" She complained when Maggie pierced her with a needle, hitting a vein "Maggie, I am grumpy, I'm fatigued all the time, I've been having these constant fits of hunger and now I can even feel my breasts a little swollen. I thought I was PMSing but honestly I am afraid I might be wrong."

"We will find out soon enough," Maggie said, trying not to sound too cheerful. She would be thrilled if Amelia were pregnant too. Her dream of the two of them having daughters and playing dolls with them might actually come true, after all. "Are you sure this stress of yours has nothing to do with one James Peterson?"

"What?" Amelia disregarded that immediately "I have four kids and I've been performing nearly twenty surgeries a week, plus my patriot bound husband is out God knows where right now training people to plug bullets from other people. I am not FINE, Maggie," Amelia nearly yelled, needing that outburst more than ever. "The fact the man I once planned to get married ten years ago showed up out of the blue and now tries every morning to engage me in small talk doesn't come close to the fact that my stupid soldier husband has probably knocked me up again. I mean honestly, I've got to be the freaking most fertile woman in the planet, because I have a freaking IUD!" Amelia burst out, vomiting her frustrations on Maggie.

"Calm down, someone is gonna hear us!" Maggie gave her a look of disapproval, as she closed the blood sample "Listen, I'm gonna take this to lab and make them run it super fast. You calm down and breathe."

"You're crazy if you think I'm just gonna sit here and wait," Amelia followed her outside, nearly running through the hospital corridors "Maggie for the love of God, tell me I'm wrong."

"You're probably not wrong," Maggie said, unapologetically "But let's wait and find out before we start to freak out, ok?"

Amelia appreciated Maggie's support by saying 'we' instead of 'you', but that didn't change the fact she was already freaking out and had been since that morning.

It would still be six more days until Owen arrived. The previous night, she had been almost asleep when all of sudden the thought of being pregnant materialized in her mind, fitting all the puzzle pieces together: Her overemotional state of mind, the excessive fatigue, the hunger… Amelia's period was late, but she had an IUD for God knows how long, so she hardly paid attention anymore… And the last couple of weeks had been so overwhelming she had completely forgotten about her period. When she finally caught a break to relax, and her mind could think more clearly, it suddenly made absolute sense.

A few minutes later, Maggie came back from the lab with a printed result in her hands. Amelia didn't need to read the paper to know what it said; Maggie's silly broad smile already said it all.

"According to your Beta-HCG level you're somewhere between five and six weeks, Amelia! Congratulations! We're gonna be mommies together!"

Thoughts?


	4. Chapter 4

My Boys – Chapter 14

The news hadn't yet sunk in when Amelia got home that evening. She thought about calling Owen and letting him know but she felt like this was too important to be said over the phone. Besides, she wasn't really thrilled about it, even though she knew he would be.

She had no idea how she was going to do this. Four was already a big number. Five was insane. She remembered telling Owen once she wanted to have five kids. What was she thinking back then? She had no idea it would be this hard. All the sleepless nights, the diapers, the cramps… Just when Danny and Robbie had started sleeping through the night she would have to start all over again. She wasn't sure she could deal with that.

As she thought about it, Amelia looked at her four sons happily chatting on the dinner table. They were so happy, so healthy, and so beautiful. She smiled along with them. They were the best thing that had ever happened to her. She was insane to focus on the hard work when the truth was, it paid off a great deal. Her kids were the most important part of her life and having one more was just adding more love to the mix. That fifth baby sure wasn't planned, but he or she would be very loved. And very welcome.

Owen fastened his luggage with a tired smile, unsuccessfully trying to hold back a sneeze. It had been nineteen days since he had left home and he was scheduled to go back home in forty eight hours, but once his course was over, he honestly couldn't wait any longer, even though his throat was sore and he had been running a fever since earlier that day.

The army had arranged for him to fly from Charleston to Houston and from there to Seattle, but Owen couldn't wait anymore. He would rather take a commercial flight, even with a nasty cold, just so he could be home sooner with his family. He missed his children, the look of innocence on their faces, the way they made him happy for just being there. And he missed Amelia.

He couldn't wait to have her back in his arms, to breathe her in and kiss that wonderful smile off her face when she greeted him with a much anticipated hug. Owen couldn't help it. He needed to see her, to hold her close and love her every night of the week again. She and the kids were in for a big surprise when he showed up there, unannounced. The thought made Owen even happier and he quickly finished packing his things to hurry up for this flight.

Amelia had just finished giving the boys their dinner when she sat down on the living room to play with them for a while. It had been an exhausting day. Early in the morning, Arizona Robbins had given her an ultrasound to check if everything was okay with the pregnancy. Amelia had an IUD and the device had to be removed now that there was a baby growing inside of her. Ben Warren, the hospital's newest chief of OB, performed the procedure in less than 10 minutes, right after Arizona had made sure everything was alright with the embryo growing inside of Amelia.

She thought about the steady heartbeat she had seen in the ultrasound screen and involuntarily, she smiled widely. Amelia took her hand to her still flat stomach. It was her fifth pregnancy but she felt as blessed and thankful as the any of the previous times. During the past four days, she had prayed to every power from above that this new baby would be just as healthy as the sons who were running around her, laughing and playing like any ordinary child. Amelia hadn't wanted a new baby, but now she was carrying one, she already knew that she would be devastated if she lost it.

She really couldn't wait to tell Owen about it. For the past four days, she had spoken to him on the phone every night and it had been nearly impossible to hide the news, but she didn't want to tell him over the phone. He would be so happy, she knew. Every time they found out about a new pregnancy, he would be smiling and cheering for days in a row. This time it would be no different. Owen loved kids and he loved their children immeasurably.

"Mommy, where's daddy?" Danny asked, not for the first time.

"Daddy is coming home in two days, baby," Amelia stroked his hair gently, "You know what, let's try to call him. He must be off work at this hour."

Amelia searched around for her phone, but couldn't find it anywhere. She had no idea Owen was already on his way to the airport at that hour because they hadn't spoken on the phone that day yet.

"Luke, where is my phone?" She asked her conspicuous six year old, seeing a look of guilt on his face.

"I don't know, mommy. Ask Tom."

The simple fact Lucas had tried to direct Amelia's attention towards his brother didn't sound good to her.

"Tom, where is my cell phone?"

Thomas shrugged and pointed to his brother. After giving Lucas a demanding look and telling him to give her back her phone with a strict voice, Amelia found out the oldest boys had accidentally dropped her cell phone inside the toilet in the downstairs bathroom.

"You know too well by now my phone is not your toy!" She reprimanded Lucas and Thomas, using a glove to reach for the drowned device "I don't want you playing games on it or anything like that, I've said this a million times before! I need this for work and to call dad and now it's gone, look!" She showed the boys the empty screen as the brand new iPhone wasn't working anymore "You guys are in serious trouble!"

"We just wanted to watch the Lego movie on Netflix, mom!" Lucas explained, like that was a reasonable excuse "But I told Tommy I should hold and he tried to take it and then it slipped."

"How did it slip _to_ the toilet?"

"I needed to go to potty, momma," Thomas said, excusing himself.

Amelia looked disgustedly to the phone covered in what now she knew was urine.

"Guys, the only reason why I don't yell at you two is because I am _too_ tired. Go upstairs, now! No bedtime story for you two tonight and no Nintendo for two weeks. Go!"

At the sight of their very angry mother, Lucas and Thomas rushed upstairs, knowing if they stuck around it could become worse. Amelia sighed heavily trying to calm down. Now she had to add going to the store to the long list of chores for the long hours she would have the following day, starting by an early surgery first thing in the morning.

Owen couldn't believe it when his flight was held back in Charleston. The company then put him on a connection flight to Denver, but it was nearly midnight when he finally made it there and it would be hours before he could board on a flight to Seattle. He picked up his phone to call Amelia, but for some reason it was going straight to voice mail. He thought about calling his mom and asking her to go check if everything was okay, but he didn't want to alarm her. Amelia was probably sound asleep by the time, and she had probably forgotten to charge her phone, like it had happened before dozens of time. His entire body was aching and he could feel his temperature rising.

Around him, dozens of angry people tried to talk to the company clerks, some pleading, some making threats. The weather was awful, a lot of flights had been canceled, but everybody thought their ordeal was more important than others. Owen sat down on one of the airport's cold chairs, looking at the plane ticket on his hand. There would be ten hours before he could board. Every muscle in his body felt sore, and his throat was hurting so much he couldn't swallow anything.

And when Owen finally made it to Seattle late the following afternoon, after a sleepless night waiting at the Denver airport, he still couldn't reach his wife on the phone.

"Hey!"

Amelia turned on her back, realizing it was James Peterson who had greeted her. Again.

"Hi," She said dismissively, carrying her lunch tray to a table on the far end of the cafeteria.

"Are you avoiding me?" He asked directly.

"I am trying to, yeah," Amelia decided to play the honesty card. Over the last week, James had been showing up randomly in front of her, trying to start a conversation, something she clearly wasn't on board with.

"Well, I won't let you," He said, insistently, sitting beside her even though she hadn't invited him "I just feel like there are a lot of things left unsaid between us."

"James," Amelia tried to be delicate but she really wasn't in the mood "You're married. You have a child. I am married too. Can't we just leave the past in the past and go on with our lives? I mean, what could possibly be there left to be said?"

"Well, I don't see your husband anywhere," James provoked "I've been here for nearly a month and I've heard about his reputation but where is he exactly?"

"He is with the Army," Amelia put it simply, not bothering to explain any further. It was none of his business.

"Well, if _I_ were your husband," He openly flirted "I wouldn't let you out of my sight. Ever."

"Good thing you are not," She said with a triumphant smile.

"Well, only because _you_ left me," James whispered, looking stern and serious "You left and you never came back."

Amelia looked into his eyes for the first time and saw the hurt and anger that were lingering there. She knew she hadn't broken up with him in the best way, but that had happened a decade ago. It wasn't possible James still resented her for that time.

"We were _engaged_ ," He emphasized, trying to make Amelia see why it bothered him so much.

"I made it pretty clear when I broke off our engagement," Amelia replied, not approving where that conversation was going.

"Over the phone!" James's tone of voice made his disapproval very clear "That was just mean and inconsiderate."

"Well, you clearly moved on from it," Amelia rolled her eyes, impatiently "You're married, James. Let it go. Go live your life."

"I am trying," He confessed, sighing. "I swear I am, but… I don't know, I have a kid and she is great so I'm trying. For her." He confessed, looking preoccupied. "My marriage is hanging by a thread, that's the truth. Coming up here for a fresh start was the last attempt in a long series of attempts. It just feels like too much work for so little return… You know the drill."

"I don't, actually." Amelia tried to get up, but James held her arm to stop her from leaving.

"Meet me tonight," He didn't hesitate, looking deeply into her eyes.

" _What?"_ Amelia's disbelief was stamped everywhere on her face.

"Meet me tonight and we can go somewhere, just the two of us…"

"I'm married," Amelia looked at him, laughing at the absurdity of the situation. She didn't want to meet him, not today or ever. If it was up to her, she would never see him again. She felt sorry he was miserable but it wasn't her fault. She couldn't feel guilty for breaking his heart ten years before. "And I love my husband, we're…"

"Well, he is not here, is he?" James said firmly, clearly frustrated. When he realized he was scaring her, he covered her hand with his gently, looking up to Amelia with nearly begging puppy eyes.

Amelia was about to tell him to immediately let go of her when she felt a shadow being cast upon her face. Looking up, she couldn't believe her eyes.

Owen stood in front of her, eyes wide with something that resembled shock. He looked from Amelia's face to her hand, covered by James's. Amelia could easily see the change on his expression. Owen clenched his jaw harder, his expression cold and hard.

"Owen…" She stood up, not quite believing it was him "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't going to be back for another day and a half!"

Amelia was thrilled to see him, despite the awful scene he walked in on, so it broke her heart when she heard him say coldly:

"Well, you'd know if you'd bothered to pick up your damn phone." Owen kept staring at James, in a very intimidating manner, and predicting a disaster, Amelia pulled her husband by his arm away from the scene. His skin felt hot at her touch and his face was void of any emotion, letting her know he wasn't okay.

When they entered the attendings' lounge on the same floor, she closed the door behind them, quickly stepping forward for a much needed hug, but Owen took a step back when she tried to reach him.

"Owen, what's wrong?"

He looked drained, with dark circles around his eyes and wrinkled clothes that proved he probably had had a tough night. Amelia had millions of questions in her mind, why had he come back sooner, why hadn't he told her, was he okay? But first she needed to touch him and end their distance once for all.

"Why don't you tell me what's wrong," He nearly shouted "I've been worrying to death about you for more than eighteen hours, going from plane to plane, sleeping on metal chairs wondering if you were dead somewhere and no one had told me. For the first time in almost twenty days we went an entire day without calling each other but that seem to trouble you, did it? I mean, you were having a good time with your new _friend_ , clearly."

Owen felt a wave of pain on his throat as he spoke, his entire body aching as he moved. He really needed to sit down, but he wouldn't give in to a silly cold, so he stood up bravely, looking at his wife. Amelia looked healthy and happy, with her rosy cheeks and red lips.

"Owen, he is not my friend," Amelia tried to calm him down, realizing he was angrier than he seemed "I'm sorry about the phone, Lucas and Thomas threw it on the water last night and I was too busy to go buy another one, I…"

"Well, not _that_ busy, obviously," Owen interrupted her, turning his back on her and walking towards the window.

"What the hell," Amelia crossed her arms, feeling the anger boiling up inside of her too when faced with his childish attitude "Look, I get you're tired and disappointed I didn't answer your call but baby, I promise if I'd know you were coming back, I would be at the airport first thing today…" Amelia breathed in and out, unable to keep her secret much longer. She waited for a few seconds, watching Owen repeatedly sigh by the window, probably trying to calm down. This was not the way she wanted them to meet after three weeks away from each other. She was planning to buy a cake with the boys and decorate the house to welcome him. Their sons had spent the last three days drawing signs and welcome home cards. If she'd known Owen was coming back that day, she would have rescheduled her entire workload to go get him. She wanted to see him well, and happy. She couldn't wait any longer to share the happy news. Taking three steps forward, Amelia touched his shoulder with her hand before confessing in a low, cheerful voice "Babe, I need to tell you something. This is not how I planned to tell you this, at all. But I can't wait any longer to share! I'm pregnant!" Her voice sounded cheerful and expectant.

At first, Owen froze, and she could feel his muscles hardening under her touch. He was probably taken aback, Amelia thought. What felt like an eternity later, he finally turned around, expressionless, and coldly replied "And you're not sure it's mine?"

Owen regretted the words the minute they came out of his mouth, and seeing the horrified look on Amelia's face, he tried to come closer to hold her, but she stepped away further, opening her mouth to speak, to just shut it without a word. The blow hit Amelia so hard she thought she had misheard it at first. She held her breath, unable to move or think. But when realization hit, she raised one hand, stopping him from approaching any closer, and without another word, left the room in complete silence.

.

Owen let out an irritated sigh, trying hard not to smash anything. What was wrong with him? Not for the first time in his life, he had let his anger and hot temper, now added to jealousy, turn him into a complete jerk. Even he couldn't believe the insane comeback he had given Amelia, after she had shared wonderful news with him. He had been so out of his mind and disappointed by not making it back home in the way he wanted to that he had absolutely no idea what to do next. Hating himself, Owen punched the wall in front of him, rejoicing in the pain it caused him.

He crashed on the room's sofa, feeling the throb of a headache, holding his head between his hands, cursing the damn moment he had decided to show up unannounced to surprise everyone.

.

Thoughts?


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you all for the amazing feedback! I had a lot of fun reading your comments. Here goes a bit more!

 **My Boys –** **Chapter 15**

Amelia couldn't believe what had happened. Her day had started out great, with two successful surgeries in the morning, but right after lunch it gone completely downhill.

Owen had showed up surprising her, but the joy and excitement she had felt when she saw him had quickly vanished after he said the cruelest words she had ever heard him saying. She understood it that he was mad because he hadn't been able to talk to her, and that he had probably been worried because her phone wasn't working. She could also tell he was tired from a long journey back home and to be honest he looked ill. But still, that was no excuse to treat her the way he had.

Amelia thought back to the scene Owen had found her in. James had been holding her hand, making her an absurd proposal. She didn't know if Owen had heard any of it, or if he knew who James was at all. But she knew her usually serene husband had a tendency of exploding in fits of anger when he was really stressed, and that seemed to be exactly the case.

After her day at work was done, Amelia drove by the school and daycare to pick up the kids. She had no idea if she would find Owen home or not. She really didn't want to argue with him again, especially not in front of the boys. Just as she entered the living room, she noticed it was empty.

The boys had no idea their father was back in the city and Amelia wanted them to be surprised. The fact she and Owen weren't on good terms shouldn't affect the boys' happiness when they realized he was back.

Amelia helped the twins take off their jackets, watching Thomas and Lucas rushing to the kitchen while taking off their shoes when two loud screams gave her a scare. Amelia felt her heart racing with the surprise when she noticed the boys had found their dad and were crazy excited to see him.

Owen entered the living room holding the oldest boys in a tight embrace. The second the twins noticed him, they ran in his direction, making their dad crouch down on their level to welcome them.

"Dad, you're back!" Lucas wrapped his arms around his neck again, unable to contain his excitement "Mom said you weren't coming home until tomorrow night!"

"I couldn't wait any longer to see you all, bud, I missed you so much." Owen ruffled his son's hair, trying to divide his attention among the four boys.

Amelia noticed his voice was hoarse but she avoided his gaze, walking straight past him to the kitchen.

"Momma, where are the cards we made for dad?" Thomas followed her "He is home and we didn't throw him a party." He sounded very disappointed.

"It's ok, nugget, I'm the happiest just to be home with you guys." Owen said from behind them, still holding the twins "Mom is tired from work, let's go play together in the living room. I brought you guys a surprise but first you all have to go pick up the shoes and coats you left there on the floor, ok?"

At the mention of the word 'surprise', the boys hurried to the living room, leaving their parents alone in the kitchen.

"Amelia…" Owen stood behind her as she turned on the washing machine in a small laundry area at the farther corner of the kitchen.

She didn't reply or turned back. Owen waited, left out a heavy silent sigh, but she kept on sorting the dirty laundry into the machine. He knew he had screwed up really badly. All he wanted to do was apologize, hoping she would forgive him.

"I missed you." He said, respecting her personal space. "I really did."

Still no words came out of her mouth and Owen didn't push it. He understood it. She must have been really hurt.

"Babe, I am so, so sorry for what I said. I was angry and upset and I overreacted. You didn't deserve it." Owen stayed put as she took the empty laundry basket and put it back in its place "I spent the entire afternoon reflecting and hating myself for being an ass to you, especially when you gave me the most amazing news, I…" Owen captured her hand, forcing her to turn around. When her eyes finally met his, he was scared by what he saw.

Amelia was looking at him in a way she had never looked at him before. Her usually lively eyes were cold and distant, her face was void of any emotion. When she opened her mouth to speak, her voice sounded formal and distant:

"There is some clean linens in the guest bedroom. You can sleep there. I don't want you anywhere near my bed."

As she said the words, she got rid of Owen's grip and walked away, towards the living room. Owen was left standing in the kitchen, feeling his headache begin to assault him again. He had taken a couple of aspirins when he made it home right after arguing with her at the hospital but now the effects were almost over, he could feel his throat beginning to hurt again. But it didn't compare to the pain he felt in his heart.

During dinner, Amelia interacted exclusively with the kids. She was extremely angry with Owen and couldn't look him in the eyes. He had really hurt her this time and she was nowhere near ready to forgive him or even talk to him.

The boys didn't seem to notice the strange atmosphere between their parents. They were completely focused on their dad and assaulting him with dozens questions about his time away. As Owen gave their children his entire attention, Amelia couldn't help but notice his voice was failing harder by the minute.

By the time dinner was over, he had a greenish color to his face that was really scary. Amelia knew he probably would want to be with the kids and put them to bed himself, but he looked like he was about to faint, so she decided to spare him.

"Guys, let's go upstairs. You can have a bath on mom's bathtub today, how about that?"

Owen noticed Amelia could tell how exhausted he was but he was determined not to let that stupid cold ruin his first night back with his boys.

"It's ok, I can do it," He said, but hardly any voice came out.

Amelia looked at her husband, studying him, but he got up and signaled the boys to follow him upstairs. She wasn't sure if that was a good idea, but she knew Owen missed them more than he could say, so she agreed with it. As she took the dishes to wash them, she noticed Owen's plate. He had barely touched the food and his glass was still full with water.

Half an hour later, when she entered her bedroom, she saw him on the adjoined bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, helping the boys get dressed in their pajamas. He was shaking and Amelia couldn't take that any longer.

"Go lie down," She commanded, taking over the bedtime routine. The boys protested when she said their dad couldn't read them a bedtime story that night, but when she explained he was really sick and needed to rest, they bravely understood it.

Owen got dressed in warm sweats and went downstairs to the guest bedroom, closing the door after him. He used two thick covers to stay warm, but the fever was so insistent that he was still shaking. It was hard to keep comfortable when his entire body ached and his mind was troubled with the fight he and Amelia were having.

He could hear the muffled sounds the boys were making upstairs as they ran in the rooms and corridor. Owen had missed them so much. He felt worst when he realized that after being away for so long, he couldn't even be in shape to put his own kids to bed.

During the next two hours, his feverish mind oscillated between sleep and conscience. His muscles were so sore it felt like he had been hit by something. He just wished he could fall into a deep sleep so he could recover sooner to be able to be a father to his sons again. And hopefully, a husband to his wife.

Owen was thinking about her when he heard the door on the room open slowly. Amelia entered the room silently, carrying a small tray. The room was dark but the minute he noticed her, Owen stretched out his arm and reached for the lamp on the nightstand by the bed.

"Hey…" He blinked repeatedly trying to adjust his eyes to the sudden clarity.

"Eat," Amelia ordered, placing a tray with chicken soup and a glass of water by the bed. She handed him two round white pills and waited until he swallowed them to give him the glass of water. She had no idea when it had been the last time he ate, but judging by his behavior at dinner and the consumed look on his face, she could guess it had been more than just hours.

"You didn't have to do this," He said, touched by her effort. She clearly had gone back to the kitchen to cook for him after putting the kids to bed, even when she was absolutely mad at him. Owen felt that at that moment he didn't deserve the amazing wife he had.

"You're sick," Amelia stated matter-of-factly. That didn't change the fact she was still disappointed and upset. But she couldn't leave him to take care of himself because Owen was a lousy patient. He didn't bother to eat and hydrate and he always push it too hard, even where there was no need to.

"I could have put the boys to bed," He insisted, his pride speaking. Amelia disagreed but she didn't think telling him that would be a good idea at the moment. Owen was in no shape to do anything but rest. He could barely take care of himself. Judging by his looks, he had probably been sick for a couple of days. It was typical of him to engage on a long journey across the country in those circumstances. How could he have been so stubborn? "Amelia, you really didn't have to do this." He insisted, taking a spoonful of the soup, feeling its warmth and the comforting sensation. It hurt to swallow but the aspirin would kick in soon.

"Well, I made a vow to love you," Amelia said as she touched his forehead with her hand, feeling his skin burning "Even when I hate you," She used a home thermometer to check his temperature.

Owen didn't have an answer for that, so he ate in silence, feeling grateful for her care when he didn't deserve it one bit.

"You're at 102," She said with a concerned look "God, Owen, how long have you been like this?"

"It started a couple of days ago," He shrugged "It's nothing, really. I'll be one hundred percent tomorrow."

"You're too stubborn for your own good," She said, putting the glass of water she had made him drink back on the tray. "Can you make it upstairs?"

"I thought you said you don't want me in your bed." He closed his eyes, feeling numbed by the medication and the amazing sensation of keeping food on his stomach without feeling nauseous.

"I can't leave you alone like this," She explained.

"I'm fine," He insisted, looking at her "Thank you for doing this. You're too good."

"Yeah, I am," Amelia said without modesty, getting up with the tray "Try and get some sleep. I'll check on you before I go to bed but keep your phone close. Call me on the house number if you need anything. I still don't have a cell phone."

"You won't be able to hear me," Owen joked, teasing his own failing voice. Amelia smiled discreetly, not wanting him to see it.

"Good night," She said, crossing the door and closing it behind her.

.

A couple of hours later, Amelia went back in the room to check on him again and to her relief, his temperature was at 99 degrees. Owen was deeply asleep; she noticed he didn't move a muscle when she entered the room or touched him to check his temperature. His previously pale face had regained some color and he didn't look so dehydrated anymore. Amelia knew for sure he hadn't been taking good care of himself, but he wasn't going to neglect himself on her watch.

She went upstairs and had trouble falling asleep. Her hand traveled to her lower abdomen, protectively. She knew it was too early to feel the baby or anything at all, but she felt sad they hadn't got to celebrate that pregnancy news the same way they had done with the previous ones. She thought again about Owen's words and felt a stinging pain in her heart that probably wasn't going away anytime soon.

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Owen woke up the next morning feeling like he had regained some of his strength. The sheets beneath him were wet, and that's when he realized he had been sweating, probably due to the fever. He used the bathroom on the bottom floor and then dragged himself to the kitchen, realizing it was past seven. He had slept for nearly ten hours.

"Dad!" Thomas came running in his direction, wrapping both arms around his thigh "Are you still sick, dad?" The boy asked with concern.

"Unfortunately, yes. But I plan to get better really soon so we can play Super Mario today after school, ok?"

"We can't," Thomas explained, with the saddest puppy eyes "Mom grounded us."

"Yeah, we can't play videogames for two weeks," Lucas explained, almost mourning.

Amelia was listening while she helped the twins with her breakfast. She didn't look Owen in the eye, but she noticed he had a better appearance compared to the previous evening.

"Well, I am sure you guys were up to no good," He said, instantly taking over Robbie's bowl to feed him, leaving Amelia to focus on Danny.

"We dropped mom's cell phone in the water," Lucas explained, looking from his dad to his mom.

"But it was an accident," Thomas said, to justify it.

Owen looked from his sons to their mother. That explained why her cell phone hadn't been working.

"Come on boys, or else we'll be late for school," Amelia said after they were done with breakfast. The boys noticed Owen was still in pajamas and he explained he wasn't going to work.

Owen followed them outside and helped fasten the boys on their respective car seats. Amelia was about to get on the car herself when reluctantly turned around to face him, but didn't look him in the eye.

"Will you be ok by yourself?" She asked, noticing how he was shivering. He had gone outside in the freezing weather only in his pajamas. Why did Owen have to be so stubborn?

"Yes," Owen replied, noticing how she was avoiding his gaze, "Will you be home early today? I can go pick up the boys."

"Don't worry, I got it," She said, still not looking at him. Without another word, Amelia got in the car and drove to the hospital, realizing she wouldn't be okay during the entire day knowing Owen was home alone while being sick.

She honestly had no idea when she would stop being mad at him. But that evening, when she got home there was a wrapped box on their bed. She opened it only to find out it was a brand new phone. Owen had probably gone out during the day to get it. She hated him for going out in the cold when he was that ill, but at the same time, she was grateful for the gesture.

And for the first time, she felt some of the anger and pain inside of her slowly vanish.

Thoughts?


	6. Chapter 6

Hey Guys, thank you for the support, especially those who take a minute of their times to leave feedback, you all don't know how happy it makes a writer to see a comment about their work.

Here goes Chapter 6 of My Boys: Better Days; and the 16th overall Chapter of this story! Hope you like it!

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 **My Boys –** **Chapter 16**

After two days and nights of being at home, Owen was feeling much better. On Saturday morning, he woke up after a night with no fever and for the first time, his throat wasn't bothering him. He was also very hungry, something he hadn't been feeling for a good few days.

Walking up to the kitchen, he decided he would spare Amelia having to prepare breakfast. She was still avoiding him, and not speaking to him unless absolutely necessary. Even when he had surprised her with a new phone, she hadn't said a word. Owen understood, but he hated the situation. He really had thought that after a couple of days Amelia would accept his apology, but she really didn't seem to want to come around anytime soon.

He would go back to work on Monday, so he planned to spend the entire weekend with his sons, to catch up on the time away from them. He also had so many questions to ask Amelia… He needed to know how Lucas had been doing in school after he'd started getting professional help for his dyslexia. He wanted to know what sort of things the twins had learned to do while he was gone. He also meant to ask about Thomas and find out what kind of new words he had been learning to read and write.

And he wanted to ask about the baby. Had Amelia been to an OB consult yet? How had she found out about the pregnancy? How had it happened? Owen knew she had an IUD and it had worked for them as birth control for the past two years. He had been so happy about the new baby, but devastated he couldn't share that happiness with his wife because she simply wasn't talking to him.

As he thought about it, Amelia came down the stairs, genuinely surprised to see him there. It was very early in the morning and all the boys were still asleep. Without the kids, it just felt pathetic when they were both in the same room without talking. Owen decided it was a good opportunity to try and break the ice.

"I have to say something," He hold a mug of coffee between his hands, watching Amelia open the cabinet looking for cereal. "Amelia," He emphasized, hoping she would look at him. It took her a few seconds, but when she finally did, Owen continued "I really am happy that we're having another baby. I wanted this and I want this, more than ever."

Amelia stood silent for a few seconds, trying not to be touched by his words. It was just easier to keep loathing him.

"But you're not sure it's yours," She repeated his words, failing to sound completely detached as she had originally planned.

Owen ran his hand through his hair, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Of course it's mine. It's ours," He walked up to her and held her hand, despite her trying to take it away from his reach "I only said that to hurt you, and I am terribly sorry. I said it because I am a jerk. Babe, you know I don't believe that."

"Sometimes you make it really hard for me to believe that." She confessed, feeling the anger turn into hurt "Sometimes, you can be cruel and petty and just plain mean." She really was trying her hardest not to cry.

"I know…" Owen hesitated but then finally wrapped her in a tight hug, running one of his hand from her back to her neck "Baby, I am a complete idiot, please forgive me." He kissed her cheek, relieved to be able to finally hold her in his arms and breathe her in again "I've missed you so much, Amelia… God, how I've missed you." He added, as he held her tighter.

Amelia tried not to give in, she wanted to stay mad at him and keep ignoring him, but as she felt his arms embracing her, she lost all power and all control.

"I've missed you too," She confessed as her arms made her way to his hips, crossing behind his back.

"I am so sorry, babe. I love you," Owen kissed her forehead. He kept his mouth pressed to the side of her face, his nose glued to her temple, hoping he could freeze time just so she would be forever in his arms.

"We're having another baby," Amelia's voice sounded muffled against the fabric of his shirt.

"Yes," Owen took his hands to the sides of her face "We are. I am beyond happy. How far along are you? Did you get an Ultrasound yet? When did you…"

"Slow down on the questions," Amelia chuckled happily, taking a step back, using her index finger to wipe some unshed tears from her eyes "According to the ultrasound, I am about six weeks now, which means the baby will be born early September."

"Like Thomas," Owen celebrated, taking his hand to the non existing bump on Amelia's abdomen "This one is a Christmas miracle." He said, realizing the baby probably had been conceived somewhere around the holidays.

"Warren already removed the IUD," Amelia informed him, feeling Owen gently caressing the exposed skin between her shirt and pajama bottom.

"That's great news," Owen said, excited "So now we're all good to go?" His eyes sparkled with contentment.

"Yes, we're all good to go," Amelia said, looking at him expectantly.

Even though she had just forgiven him, he still hadn't kissed her and Amelia wasn't sure she wanted him to. It had taken her three days to forgive him, but she wasn't sure when she'd be able to forget so soon. Taking one step back, she got away from his reach and decided to bring up a neutral topic, seeing the look of disappointment on his face when she distanced herself from him.

"So, Lucas's teacher said he's doing much better after he was formally diagnosed and is now getting the adequate help he needs," She told him "I've been noticing it too, at night when I help him with homework. He is taking baby steps but at least he is going forward."

"That's great news," Owen said honestly "Have they asked about me while I was gone?" He asked sheepishly.

"All the time," Amelia informed him with a grin, knowing the answer was making him happy "Danny and Robbie have been acting out a lot, crying for nothing all the time. I think your absence took a special toll on them, because they didn't understand it that much." Amelia said, sipping from her hot chocolate.

"It's all gonna go back to normal now," He said, meaning more than the twins' behaviors.

Amelia nodded in agreement. She kept herself busy with house chores during the morning, while Owen finally unpacked his luggage. It felt weird to talk to him and at the same time feel like they were walking on egg shells. Amelia still felt like he had broken her trust with his nasty comment. She wasn't avoiding physical contact with him to punish him, she just didn't know what to say or do, and Owen seemed to notice she was uncomfortable, because he didn't take any more physical advances.

She spent most of the day catching up on medical journals while Owen entertained the kids. The weather was awful outside and there wasn't much they could do other than stay indoors and play with toys, since video games were off limits for a few more days.

When it was time for dinner, Owen took charge of the kitchen, leaving to Amelia the task of watching the boys. She sat down on the floor with them, helping out as they built blocks and played with action figures, wondering when it would be the best time to let them know they were having a new sibling.

She wanted to tell them, but she wanted to be on good terms with Owen before they could share the news together. Thomas carried his big gas station to the center of the living room, asking Amelia to help him park his cars on the big garage building annexed to it, and for the next hour, she completely forgot about anything else.

They took turns putting the boys to bed and Owen wasn't sure what to do after he closed the door of the twins' room behind him. Amelia hadn't been talking to him ever since he had gotten back from Charleston, but today she had finally accepted his apology. Owen had no idea what it meant on her part. He wasn't sure if he should go back to sleep on their bedroom. Despite forgiving him, Amelia still wasn't herself towards him. He missed her smile, her genuine happiness around him and the intimate bond that they shared.

Amelia was talking to him again, yes, but she was treating him like a mere colleague or roommate. Not once she had given any indication that it was okay for him to touch her. When he had been about to kiss her in the kitchen that morning, she had pulled away. Owen couldn't understand why. He knew they probably had to talk about it to find out and that was the part he dreaded the most. He was simply awful at talking about his feelings, even after all those years. And Amelia made it all look to easy when she stood in front of him, pouring her heart out.

Owen had already apologized, and she had accepted it. He had no idea what else to do and what she expected of him. Women could be really complicated sometimes, especially complex ones like his wife. Owen noticed her coming out of Lucas and Thomas's room, and he approached her, not sure how she would react.

"You're going to bed?" He asked expectantly.

"Yeah, I'm gonna finish reading my journal," She stood on the tip of her toes and gave him a chaste kiss on his face "Good night."

As she said the words, Amelia walked toward their bedroom and closed the door after her, in a clear indication that Owen wasn't welcome in there.

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The following morning, Owen woke up and went up to their bedroom, in need of a clean change of clothes he could only find in the closet. He was surprised when he saw Amelia come out of the shower through the open door of the bathroom. His eyes lingered on her body, admiring every curve, and he immediately felt a rush of desire running through his veins. The shower steam made the walls around her sweaty and foggy, and she stood in the middle of that inviting scenario, her porcelain white skin gleaming while her cheeks were flushed from the hot atmosphere around.

She was so desirable, and Owen wanted her so badly he couldn't help starring. But when she noticed his admiring eyes on her body, she shyly wrapped herself in a towel and turned around, covering her nudeness from him. Amelia walked over to the sink of the bathroom, distancing herself from the door and from his view.

Owen's heart sank as he realized his own wife was shying away from him, something she had never done before. Owen had always been allowed to share her bed and her body and it physically hurt him that she didn't seem to want it anymore.

He tried to be comprehensive and understanding, because he knew deep down he had caused their fight. But when the situation continued into the upcoming week, it was becoming really hard to tolerate it.

People at work noticed how moody and cranky Owen had become when he went back to work, and they all just assumed it had to do with the Army Camp back in Charleston, so no one said a word about it. A few days into being back at the job, Owen was paged to a case when, to his surprise, he stepped in the trauma room to help on a patient of this new doctor that had been hired while he was away.

Dr. James Peterson, he had heard.

Owen disliked the guy immediately. He instantly recognized him as the man he had found holding his wife's hand, looking her in a way that was too obvious for any other man to identify. James Peterson had been looking at his wife as if he wanted to devour her there and then, and Owen felt a primitive feeling of anger take over his entire body, almost making him lose his head when talking to the guy. In the following days, he tried to avoid Peterson's presence as much as he could, because every time that guy was around, Owen could feel his jaw harden involuntarily.

On Friday, five days after Owen had been back to work, he was sitting with Kepner filling up forms for a patient who was being sent up to the OR when he heard one of the nurses casually flirting with the new doctor.

"So, Dr. Peterson, it's been awfully cold the past few days. I imagine you miss being in sunny California this time of the year," She blinked her eyes suggestively.

"I can't tell you how much I miss Los Angeles," He smiled back seductively "Seattle is all but rain, and when it's not raining, it snows. I can't believe I ever agreed to come here."

"Then maybe you should reconsider going back," Owen's mouth fired before he could control it.

April gave him a startled look, disapproving of his words.

James Peterson turned his head to face the surgeon. He knew who the guy was married to, and he remembered how the man had caught him making an indecent proposal to his wife the week before. He had tried to keep a low profile and not get into anyone's black list before he could even begin to settle in. Owen Hunt was the chief of trauma surgery, but James was a trauma physician. He didn't report to Owen and he didn't wish to speak to him unless absolutely necessary. Despite the fact he was Amelia's husband, he was also a soldier and much bigger, scarier and more intimidating than James could have ever imagined.

"Maybe I should go back," James commented, a little nervously "I never quite understood what made Amelia move in here in the first place. And to be honest, I still don't," He said trying to keep a good mood. Luckily for him, he was called by one of the residents just as he had finished his sentence so he didn't have to stay to hear what he would hear next.

Owen frowned, wondering how the hell the guy knew Amelia had moved from Los Angeles to Seattle. But then it hit him, and he felt the dumbest he had ever remembered feeling.

James Peterson wasn't just some guy who Amelia had met in the hospital.

He was _James_.

Amelia's ex fiancé, who she had dumped right after she had first moved to Seattle. The last man she had been in a relationship with before starting things off with Owen.

His lips crisped on a thin line and his knuckles became white from the hard grip on the piece of paper in front of him. Kepner noticed his attitude and looked at him questioningly, but Owen wasn't in the mood. With a deathly glance in return, he let April know he was not up for a chat this time.

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When Owen made it home that evening, Amelia already had picked up the boys and she was helping the oldest with their homework while the twins played with her watch.

"Hey," She greeted Owen with a smile when he approached them, greeting their sons.

"Hey," Owen replied dryly, avoiding her look.

Amelia noticed he seemed different.

"Is everything ok?" She asked innocently. She really had no idea why, but Owen looked like he was making a giant effort to contain his anger. She had seen it before, dozens of times, but usually it had nothing to do with her.

"Everything is perfectly fine," Owen said, letting her know that nothing was fine.

Amelia gave her sons instructions on how to finish their homework and pulled Owen's arm, taking him to the kitchen where they could talk in privacy and still keep an eye on the boys.

"Alright, spill it out," She said, using her best bossy voice.

Owen took a deep breath, and looked around before finally calming down enough to look at her.

"I found out today, ok?" He paced on the kitchen furiously, "I found out that _that_ _guy_ who was holding your hand and looking at you like he could undress you with his eyes is actually is your ex-fiancé," Amelia opened her mouth to talk, but he stopped her raising his hand in a obvious sign she should remain silent "I am not mad _at you_ ," He said in contained fury "I am just mad. I'm trying to deal with it."

Amelia didn't know why, but she wanted to laugh. He was really on the edge of an outburst but was trying to control it. Out of respect for Owen, she kept a serene look on her face.

"Owen, what does it matter who he is?" She tried to be reasonable. "Let's just forget it ever happened…"

"No!" Owen pointed his index finger at her and took two steps in her direction, "Now that the subject is out on the open we will talk about it."

"Now you wanna talk?" Amelia protested, seeing him nervously run his hand through his hair, as if trying to keep his cool.

"You will tell me what that guy was doing with you that day. You will tell me why you never told me he is who he is. And why he is here. And maybe, _maybe_ , I'll begin to understand why my wife doesn't want me to touch her anymore."

Amelia saw the hurt on his eyes, mixed with anger, and for the first time, she felt sorry for him. She knew how much energy and self control it demanded for him not to explode in fits of rage. Owen was usually very peaceful and calm, but when something touched his nerve, he usually became uncontrollable. Putting the situation that way, he had every reason he could ever need to storm out on her and accuse her of things, but instead he was trying to reasonably understand and was asking her to explain. She owed that much to him.

"James was trying to convince me to meet with him later that day," Amelia answered honestly. She had never lied to Owen and there was no reason she should start now "I never told you who he is because we never talked about what happened. You were horrible to me, I was pissed at you for days, you apologized and that was it. We never discussed what went on; we never said how we felt about what happened. I know you didn't like what you saw and trust me, I didn't like to be there in that position, either," Amelia took a deep breath and kept looking at him, trying to be as thorough as she could "James is here because his wife was transferred by her company and he moved with her as an attempt to save his marriage, which, according to him, isn't doing well."

"No kidding," Owen rolled his eyes sarcastically "But then he goes and tries to ruin ours?"

"It was very wrong what he did," Amelia agreed with her husband "And I told him so the other night. I don't wish to talk to him, Owen, or see him. I have absolutely no interest in what he does or doesn't do. To be honest, I don't think he was as surprised to see me as I was when I first saw him. Maybe he already knew I worked here, maybe he thought he would get lucky trying to have an affair with me. I don't know. But it doesn't matter, because I'm not interested."

Owen looked at her, believing she meant that. But he still needed to know more.

"About the other thing," Amelia blushed and felt ridiculous she was embarrassed to discuss their sex life with Owen, something that had never been a problem to them "It's not that I don't want you to touch me. I do, I do very much. But it's just…" She struggled to find the right words to explain to him how she felt "It's just that in order to do that, I need to feel like we're on the same page. That we are a team." She looked up from her feet to meet his expectant eyes "I just felt like we weren't emotionally connected ever since that fight and I can't have one thing without the other. Not after all this time, you know? I love you so much," She confessed, stretching out one hand and capturing his "And I can't bring myself to share our bed with you if I don't feel like we are _us._ "

Owen gave her hand a gentle squeeze. He understood what she said and felt bad that she ever had to feel they weren't on the same page. He would always be there for her. He hated to realize he had been the reason why she had been so distressed. It was his job to love her and be there for her, but instead, he had been the one to cause her pain. But now, she had been entirely honest and open with him. It was just as fair he tried his best to do the same.

"I never meant for you to feel we are not on the same side or that I don't support you," He confessed "Because I do. I miss _us_ too much," He emphasized "And I don't mean just the sex; of course I miss the sex," He rambled "But I miss coming home and being able to share things with you, I miss laughing at your awful jokes," He placed a lock of her hair behind her ear as she chuckled at his confession "I came home expecting to find you guys waiting for me," He admitted, looking embarrassed "And instead all I got was you not answering any of my calls. Not that I blame you, now I know what happened. But at the time I was furious that I was so sick and had traveled for so long, expecting nothing but to see you and the boys when I got home and found you literally on the hands of another man, instead."

Amelia closed the distance between them, touching her forehead to his chest as she felt his arms loosely involving her.

"I was planning a party," She felt really bad that Owen had had to go through that and that he had felt neglected by his family "The boys had already chosen which cake we would buy and they had spent the entire week crafting signs and bugging me about when was it that you'd finally come back. We missed you, babe," She looked up to meet his gaze "We wanted you back more than anything. I wanted you back," She looked straight into his eyes to let him know she was being completely honest "I missed you more than anything and I couldn't wait to tell you about our new baby."

Owen remembered the newest addition that was on its way and automatically took one hand to Amelia's lower abdomen, caressing it with his thumb.

"I am happy beyond words," He confessed. "I want to know how you found out about it."

Amelia narrated the events of the day she had practically dragged Maggie out of the OR and how she had become suspicious. As Owen laughed about it with her, for the first time since he had left, she felt like they were bonding again. Their intimacy was finally back. There were no more doubts, no more questions between them. Everything was out in the open now, and it was amazingly familiar to feel that way again.

At last, Amelia could feel like herself around the man she loved. Now that they had shared what they had thought and felt, she felt like she understood him and he understood her. Mistakes were there to be made, and to be forgiven. Once she learned why Owen had acted the way he had, it had become possible for her to finally truly forgive him and put that awful fight in the past.

As their laughter finally subsided, Amelia took one more look toward the living room to check on the boys. Robbie and Danny were sitting down, concentrated on their toys. Lucas and Thomas distractedly chatted with each other, even though they were supposed to be focusing on their homework.

Taking advantage of her distraction, Owen wrapped one arm around her waist and kissed her neck, being able to once more feel the amazing smell and warmth of her body.

"I missed you so much," He said, meaning every word. He kept her in his arms and looked deeply into her gaze, his crystal blue eyes sparkling with desire and longing "Babe, be mine again."

Amelia noticed the way he was looking at her, and that made her feel wonderful.

"I have always been yours… Only yours," She whispered back before holding his face between her hands and brushing his lips with hers.

It had been nearly a month since Owen had last kissed his wife and he couldn't help himself. Her words fueled his desire and he couldn't contain himself any longer. The minute she offered her lips to him, Owen involved her mouth on a demanding kiss. His tongue parted its way through her lips, meeting with hers on a sensual encounter. His arms possessively held her by the waist, lifting her easily.

Amelia was inebriated by his kiss and his presence when Owen put her sitting on the cold marble counter, holding her thighs with a rough squeeze, making her legs wrap around his hips. She felt his warm hand invading her shirt, rubbing the skin of her back with ease.

"The boys…" She managed to say between his kisses "Babe, the boys are here."

Her lips were swollen and her pupils were dilated. Owen reluctantly broke the kiss, feeling her sharp and rapid breath on his chest.

"I'm gonna go lock them in the bathroom," He joked, hating that he was feeling so frustrated.

"There will be time for this later," She promised him, giving him a peck on the lips before jumping back to the floor.

"Is that an invitation?" He squeezed her butt when she turned her back to him, walking back to the living room.

"It's a demand," She said, laughing at his tortured expression.

"Everyone is going to bed one hour earlier today," He whispered in her ear, making Amelia giggle.

Finally, _they_ were back.


	7. Chapter 7

Hey Peeps. Sorry for the long wait, this chapter took a while to be edited. Here goes, thank you for everyone who takes their time to send feedback!

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 **My Boys –** **Chapter 17**

That was one of the longest nights of Amelia's life. Time would simply not pass.

While she finished helping Thomas and Lucas with their homework, she watched as Owen prepared dinner in the kitchen. She would often catch him staring at her with malice in his eyes. She couldn't help but to smile back, rejoicing in the intimacy of their silent exchange of words.

When Danny said he was thirsty, Amelia got up from the living floor where she'd been playing with the boys and went into the kitchen, looking for a sippy cup to fill with water.

"Have you seen the one of those Mickey cups with the red lids?" She asked Owen, looking in the cabinets above the sink.

"They're up there," Owen pointed to the shelf above her head.

As Amelia stretched her arm to reach it, she felt a strong hand grabbing one side of her hip as Owen stood close behind her. She could sense his warm breath on the back of her head when he leaned into brush his lips along the sensitive skin of her neck.

Amelia closed her eyes and put both of her hands on the kitchen counter, trying to keep her balance as Owen's other hand captured one of her breasts gently. Because of the pregnancy, her breasts had become tender and slightly uncomfortable, but it didn't stop her from getting pleasure when he touched her. Owen proceeded to get closer and closer to her as he slowly nipped her neck and shoulders, leaving red teeth marks all over her porcelain white skin.

She felt Owen's body against hers and his obvious arousal grind firmly against her lower back. His gentle bites became delicious kisses and Amelia had to stop him before it got out of control.

"You're gonna make me look like a sixteen year old if you give me a hickey," She turned around in his arms, putting both hands on his chest to stop his advances.

"You _are_ making me feel sixteen," Owen confessed, leaning in anyway and capturing her earlobe with his lips. "It's like I have uncontrollable urges all over again," He added, grabbing her butt cheeks with his hands and pulling her hips against his.

Amelia felt his enormous manly hands on her body and was immediately assaulted by a tingling sensation in her lower abdomen.

"Except now you won't have to solve the problem with your own hand," She teased, welcoming his kisses on the side of her neck as he squeezed her harder.

"No, maybe we'll have _your_ hand doing it this time," He gave her a dirty look and kissed her lips before she could say anything else.

Amelia stood on the tip of her toes and wrapped both arms around his neck, kissing him back with the same passionate desire.

"If you keep looking at me like that," Owen announced as he broke their kiss "I swear I'm gonna take you upstairs right now and…"

"Don't," Amelia interrupted him, laughing, "Control yourself. You're a dad. Your children are here."

"I'm also a husband," Owen looked at her from a safe distance, devouring her with his eyes.

"I know, babe," Amelia was just as frustrated they couldn't be together immediately but she was starting to appreciate the anticipation "You're really good at it," She added.

"At what? Sex?" Owen upfront asked, gleaming with pride.

"At being a husband," Amelia smiled to herself, enjoying teasing him. When Owen frowned obviously exaggerating his disappointment, she added "But you're pretty great at the other thing too," She provocatively bit her bottom lip.

"At being a dad?" Owen played her game, his eyes filled with lust as he did his best not to touch her.

"And at sex," Amelia whispered, swiftly walking away from him with a smile.

.

During dinner, Owen was trying to concentrate on his food and on his sons when he suddenly felt something warm slowly rubbing on his leg. He didn't need to look to realize it was his wife's foot touching him on his inner thigh under the table.

"Amelia…" Owen said between his teeth, his hands clenched on his fork.

She ignored his plea and slowly moved her foot up, touching him where he knew she would end up. With one steady grip, Owen captured her foot, holding it firmly while he gently massaged her small toes.

"Witch," He whispered silently, making her laugh with pride at her successful attempt to tease him "You're going to pay for this."

Amelia didn't answer him with words; her lustful eyes already said everything Owen needed to know. Their silent exchange of promises was interrupted by their sons, who happily chatted during dinner.

"Momma, can we watch cartoons in your bed tonight?" Lucas asked using his best puppy eyes.

"Ok, but you can't stay up late because it's a school night," She explained, seeing the excited look on her son's face.

When the boys were in their fluffy pajamas, they lined up on her bedroom door. It was a little past seven pm and Amelia usually put them to bed at eight. She was hoping the cartoons would distract them enough to make them fall asleep without making a fuss.

As the four of them climbed on their bed, she pulled the covers and turned off the lights. The room was involved in darkness except for the bright display of the TV. Since Owen was downstairs cleaning up when she had prepared the boys for bedtime, she joined them on the bed, feeling the four of them slowly snuggling around her to make themselves comfortable.

After a few minutes, Owen entered his own bedroom to find two of their sons already asleep curled up next to their mother. He noticed one of the twins was almost there too, but Lucas still resisted sitting up, distractedly entertained by a cartoon about talking airplanes.

"Hey buddy," Owen sat on the bed and lay next to his son, rubbing his back gently. At the presence of his dad, Lucas shifted to sit on his legs, resting on his chest. Owen felt the gentle weight of his small body and kissed his son on the head, as the little boy relaxed in the safety of his father's arms. "Do you know how much dad loves you?" Owen playfully whispered in his ear.

"Too much," Lucas repeated the rehearsed line, without taking his eyes off the TV. A few seconds went by when Lucas finally bothered to look at his father "Dad, you have to stop kissing me, you kiss too much," He protest, rubbing his hand on his face where his father had touched him.

Owen tried his best to hold his laughter.

"I can't help it because I love you so much," He argued with mirth in his voice, exchanging looks with Amelia.

Lucas sounded very serious when he replied "But you won't let me watch the cartoon. Go kiss mommy." He bargained.

Owen chuckled at his son's impatience and looked over at Amelia, who was softly talking Robbie into closing his eyes. He smiled when he saw her delicate hands caressing the toddler's hair as she made him lay his head on her shoulder. When she heard Lucas's protest, she laughed along with Owen, seeing the exaggerated frown her oldest son's forehead.

About twenty minutes later, both Robbie and Lucas were already asleep and as usual, Owen took charge of carrying them to their beds while Amelia tucked them in.

She had just closed the door after her after all the boys were already in their beds when Owen took her hand in the hallway, leading her to their bedroom.

She stood in front of him, keeping a small gap between their bodies. Owen smiled at her, his eyes filled with desire. When she smiled back, his arms captured her, bringing her closer.

"Did you miss our bed?" Amelia asked when Owen started showering her with hungry kisses. She had denied him access to their bed and their bedroom ever since he had gotten back from Charleston and now they were back to normal she felt really bad about having made him sleep in the guest room. This was his room too, after all, and all of his stuff was here as well.

"I missed the woman in it," Owen answered truthfully. Being in the army, he had become used to sleeping pretty much anywhere. Of course his bed was more comfortable, but the most captivating thing about it was that it had Amelia.

"I can't believe you're here," She smiled at him, looking him deeply in the eye. Amelia held his face between her hands, not daring to look elsewhere. It had killed her when they he had come back and yet they had been so distant. Now that they had talked and gotten over their problems, all she wanted was to be close to him again. Her voice was hoarse when she asked "Owen, make love to me."

Owen didn't waste time on words, he was more concerned with undressing her, and fast. He answered her by pulling off Amelia's shirt with ease, and delighted himself when he realized she was only wearing panties under it. He laid her down on the bed and got on top of her, losing himself in the softness of her skin. His hands traveled through every piece of her body, from her face to her toes, his lips sucking and nipping every bit of skin his lips could reach.

She aggressively pulled his shirt through his arms and neck, letting him know she couldn't wait any longer either. Owen let his body weigh on hers, seeing the look of pleasure on her face when his hand slipped between her thighs, touching her intimately. Amelia moaned loudly when his finger found her most sensitive spot. Feeling drowned in desire, she pulled Owen's pants down, together with his boxers.

He was assaulted by a wave of chills when her fingernails traced paths on his back, slowly caressing and then digging mercilessly when he kissed her. Owen captured her wrists and held them above her head, immobilizing her, so he could kiss and explore her body at his will. Amelia didn't protest, loving the familiar sensation of his lips on her breasts. His unshaved beard rubbed her skin, leaving scratch marks on her curves.

"Tell me where," Owen demanded with fire in his eyes. Amelia could identify the raw desire in his voice and on his face. Without breaking eye contact with him, she freed her hand and grabbed his, slowly moving it on the length of her body, from her breasts until it reached the center of her pleasure again.

Owen's naughty smile didn't go unnoticed and he stimulated her mercilessly, making her legs weaker. Amelia ran her hand on his thigh, feeling the muscles harden under her touch. Owen kept the slow torture with his fingers and shifted his weight to one of his elbows, getting a better view of her delighted face.

"I want to see it, babe." He roughly captured her bottom lip between his, "Don't hold back."

His hand made its way up, reaching her lower abdomen and bellybutton, as his lips crushed hers again on a hungry kiss. Amelia enjoyed being on top during sex, but she also loved it when he took control of the situation as he had been doing. She loved to see his stiffened body when he was crazy with desire, to feel his weight on her and to have his hands and lips dictate the rhythm of that sensual dance they were creating.

He turned her around in his arms, making her lie on her stomach. Owen glued his chest to her back as one of his hands captured the angle between her neck and jaw possessively. Amelia was now trapped beneath him, his entire body covering hers from shoulder to thighs. She could feel him hard behind her, and she adjusted her hips to accommodate him.

Owen tilted his hip forward, pressing her against the soft mattress, easily parting her legs. Amelia used her elbows to support the weight of her head and shoulders, feeling her husband cover her entire back with sensual bites. When he buried his face in the crook of her neck, she involved one arm around him, bringing his lips to hers as Owen moved his hips to finally drive full length inside of her.

The satisfaction was evident on her face as Owen splayed his hands on each side of her shoulders, crushing her body with his. Her hands traveled from his face to entangle in his hair, pulling it hard when Owen thrust faster against her. Amelia clutched him to her with force, bringing his face closer to her body. She involuntarily arched her back when he kept moving his hip, withdrawing and then shifting forward again skillfully. Just when Amelia was sure she would explode from the feelings building inside her, he stopped, making her roll onto her back once again.

Lying, facing him now, Amelia circled his hips with her legs as Owen wasted no time in joining their bodies again. Her warmth welcomed him and Owen got lost in his own desire. His fingers shoved into her heavy, silken hair, bringing her face toward his lips. His pushed harder against her, feeling her moans boost his excitement. Amelia could feel shivers of delight and desire racing through her body as Owen quickened his driving, insistent strokes, making them finally reach their climaxes together, both bodies taken over by waves of pleasure that left them completely out of breath.

Owen wasted no time in recovering, quickly lying on his back to pull her by the hips, making her straddle him. Amelia's cheeks were hot and flushed and her eyes were sparkling from the amazing orgasm he had just given her, but she joined him again, crawling on his top with ease. She moved in slow circles, feeling him harden again inside her as they started all over again. Amelia imposed her rhythm and he followed her, but just as she thought he had subsided, Owen moved to the top again, trapping her body under his.

"I want you," Owen said, his voice hoarse as he captured her jaw and forced her to look into his eyes as he drove deeper inside her "You are mine. Say it."

Amelia saw the intense passion in his eyes and for a second, she regained some of her conscious and remembered the events of the past week. She could identify the jealousy that still assaulted Owen, the sparkle in his eyes when he arrogantly dominated her body with his, imprisoning her within a web of desire and love. He was like a raw, primitive warrior claiming his prize: her. Amelia felt her body being taken by a wave of hot desire when she saw the force in his eyes as he dared her to say the words. He had completely overtaken her, seducing her with his touch and kissing her with violent tenderness. And she couldn't resist it. She loved him and he was her everything. She was completely his, body, heart and soul.

"I'm yours," She yielded, whispering back against his temple with her eyes closed, feeling Owen lose all control as he moved deeper inside her body "I love you and I will always be yours. You're the only one," She added, knowing it would be his undoing.

Owen struck her faster and harder, unable to control himself, despite knowing his body far outweighed hers. He was just about to withdraw in fear of hurting her when he felt Amelia exploding in fits of pleasure beneath him, her sweet voice screaming his name as she held nothing back, exactly like he had asked.

Owen kissed her with passion and pride, and just when Amelia thought he was finally done, he proved her wrong by wearing her out once again, giving her an orgasm for the third time that evening.

When their sweaty bodies finally parted, Amelia felt the cold air around her involving them and quickly lay on top of him in search of his warmth, only to have her lips captured on yet another kiss. She was usually the one with the long lasting energy but that night, Owen was the insatiable one.

"You wanna go again?!" Amelia's eyes widened in shock, not quite believing it. "Seriously, I can't anymore, you're gonna give me a rash or something." She protested.

Owen laughed at her startled expression and pulled her closer to his chest on a bear hug.

"I think we are good," He kissed the top of her head gently "For tonight."

"Oh, really?" Amelia put one hand over the other on his chest to support her chin, so she could look at him.

Owen's hand traveled to her face and his thumb gently caressed her cheek in a soothing caress. She was everything he ever dreamed of. Up to that day, sometimes he still found it hard to believe she was real.

"I have one entire month of catching up to do," He explained, smiling lazily at her. Her light weight pressing on his body was something he had missed very much and he couldn't wait until he could have her again. "Luckily for us, we can't be up to date in just one evening."

Amelia rolled over, crashing on the mattress next to him.

"Well, I for one can't complain," She said, holding his hand between hers and gently biting his knuckles.

Amelia could see Owen was finally exhausted from the intense lovemaking, but somehow, she felt more energized than ever. That didn't surprise him, so he agreed when she insistently took him to the living room, proposing they watched a movie together. It was little past 9 pm and she didn't want to sleep just yet.

Owen sat down on the couch, his back inclined against the soft cushions while Amelia went to the kitchen because she felt like drinking tea. She came back with a hot mug and butter crackers.

"Hungry much?" Owen teased her, knowing too well already that pregnant Amelia needed snacks in regular intervals.

"It's not me, it's the baby," Amelia replied with a grin "Besides it's your fault I burned all my dinner calories already."

Owen chuckled and sorted through channels as she ate. When she was done, Amelia dropped the mug on the coffee table, lying down on the couch with no ceremony. She rested her head on Owen's legs, feeling one of his hands caressing her hair gently, while the other traveled to rub her belly.

"How's she doing?" He blissfully asked.

"He is doing very well," Amelia answered, changing pronouns just to tease him. Owen frowned at her playfully and gave her a quick peck on the lips "How are you so sure it's a girl?" She asked, completely ignoring the movie.

Owen took his eyes off the TV and looked down into her eyes "I don't," He said with honesty "But it would be really nice if it were," He dreamed "But of course I'd love her or him, either way." He added, feeling bad that he was so strongly hoping they would have a daughter.

"I am happy with the fact it's just one this time," Amelia laughed with herself, remembering the surprise they had gotten when she had the first ultrasound for the last pregnancy.

Owen smiled at the memory and kept on idly caressing her hair. When the movie went on a break, he casually suggested:

"Babe, do you think we should get a bigger house? I mean, we only have three bedrooms upstairs. Where we will put the little one?"

Amelia looked up at him, confused.

"I really hadn't thought about that," She confessed. They had a spare room downstairs, which they had turned into a guest bedroom. But really was no place for a nursery because it was too far from their bedroom. And they couldn't move the older kids downstairs for the same reason. Lucas and Thomas still woke up in the middle of the night sometimes, and they were too young to be climbing the stairs up and down in the middle of the night. "Damn it, we're gonna have to go house hunting again," Amelia sighed, recalling the insane amount of hardwork they'd had to go through the previous time. "I really like this neighborhood and I like our house. I don't want to move."

"You were the same way the last time and you adjusted to this house just fine," Owen said. The first place they moved into after they'd gotten married was the house he had bought after selling the trailer. Being a single man, Owen had opted for a simple two bedroom, five room house. But once they were pregnant with the twins, which they were sure would be their youngest children, they had moved the house they were currently living in. It was spacious and had everything they needed up until now.

"I'll call the realtor on Monday," Owen decided. He really didn't look forward to going through a move again, and despite them having a very comfortable financial situation, buying a house was always a big deal. He thought about the move and how much work it would be to pack up everything again and then, they eventually would have to deal with the selling of this house. "I'm really not excited about this either, but it'll be for the best."

When Owen thought about the reason that had led them to making that decision, he didn't feel so irritated anymore.

"You know what?" He kissed Amelia's forehead "I am looking forward to finding out if we should start looking for a pink paint samples."

Amelia chuckled at Owen's indiscretion. He really couldn't hide it how much he hoped for a girl. It didn't matter to her, but he was so invested, that she was starting to wish it was a girl too, just because of how happy it would make him.

It wouldn't them any good to speculate, really. Whatever the baby's sex was, they would only know in a few weeks. And there wasn't any other option than to wait to find out.


	8. Chapter 8

Hey Guys!

Since it took me a while to post the last chapter, I think you guys deserve a faster update! Here it goes, I hope you all like it!

.

 **My Boys – Chapter 18**

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Owen slowly gained consciousness as he felt the soft touch of Amelia's wet kisses on his jaw, waking him up from a deep sleep. Still with his eyes closed, he smiled lazily, enjoying the idle circles her fingers were drawing on his chest.

"Hey," He turned his head to the side, finally opening his eyes to meet hers.

"Hi," Amelia whispered when she moved her head closer to his, touching his nose with hers.

"How did you sleep?" Owen reached for her hair, gently pulling a lock off her wonderful face. He used his thumb to brush her skin gently, loving how delicate she felt to his touch.

"I had the best sleep since I've had in weeks," She confessed and moved one leg to the top of his hips, feeling Owen's other hand immediately capture her naked thigh.

"You did?" He raised an eyebrow, too proud to hide it. Owen leaned in and kissed her gently, "You look beautiful," He noticed the glow in her blue eyes.

Amelia smiled tenderly at him, hugging him with both her arms. Owen glanced over at the window, it was still dark outside. The clock on the nightstand confirmed his suspicion; it was barely past 6 am.

"Babe, why are you awake?" Owen chuckled, moaning in protest to the early hour "It's six in the morning on a Saturday, go back to sleep," He felt her entangle her arms on his neck and pulled her nearer, closing his eyes as he buried his face in her chest.

"I can't sleep anymore," Amelia replied, sliding her fingers through his strawberry blond locks. She was an early riser and he knew it "Owen…" She moaned his name rather than said it, succeeding in getting his attention.

"Yes, Amelia?" He answered, trying to sound irritated but failing. She laughed at him adoringly, not believing how much she'd missed having him near.

"Nothing, babe," She kissed his forehead and pulled his head against her chest again "Go back to sleep, you've earned it," She chuckled, enjoying nestling him and watching him fall asleep again.

Owen tried to relax again, but the soft touch of her body against his face was too much a temptation. His mouth captured one her breasts through her shirt, kissing it first and then nipping it seductively, feeling her bend her back once she realized his intentions.

Owen descended his hand from her back directly to her butt, reveling in the creamy texture of her skin beneath her underwear. He splayed one of his open palms on her, as his mouth went from one of her breasts to the other.

"I thought you wanted to sleep," Amelia's voice sounded hoarse when he wouldn't stop touching her in such a sensitive spot. The soft barrier of her shirt between his tongue and her nipple was brushing up and down, giving her an erotic wave of pleasure.

"I did," Owen chuckled, thinking of how impossible it was to resist her, especially when she approached him so willingly "But first I have to do something."

"Yeah?" Amelia laughed with him, and then Owen moved to his side, kissing her slowly, taking all the time in the world to part her lips and find her tongue.

He finally pulled away, slightly tilting his head to get a better view of her face.

And Owen loved what he saw. The blue of her eyes stood out on the light complexion of her face, with perfectly matched red lips. It was like she had been hand drawn, for her smile was the most exquisite he had ever seen.

"Babe," Owen looked deeply into her eyes, voicing his concern "Did I hurt you last night? I know I lost control a little and things got… Well, a little too rough," He added embarrassingly, remembering how he had held her and submitted her to the fierce strokes of his body when passion had consumed him entirely.

"No," Amelia smiled tenderly at him, her heart warming with his genuine concern "It was just the right amount of rough," She laughed at his perplexed expression. "It was very hot, actually," She remembered the moments they had shared with a dirty smile.

"I know I am being stupid and thinking like a father and not a doctor," Owen confessed "But I don't want to hurt the baby."

"He is still too small, Owen." Amelia ran her hand on his face, caressing him gently "You can't hurt him."

"Or her," Owen corrected her, grinning.

Amelia wrapped both arms around his neck, bringing his face down to her reach. He kept his eyes closed, and Amelia took the chance to return his caresses, first kissing his temple, to slowly descend to his eyes and cheeks, until her lips captured his on another long and slow kiss.

Owen's hand moved, searching for her pajama pants and slowly undressing her. When he touched her this morning, Amelia felt the same pleasure she had when he had taken her the previous evening. But everything else felt entirely different.

Before, Owen had touched her with anxious longing, hungry anticipation and raw passion. His eyes had sparkled with lust as he kissed her body and moved inside of her. He had been completely consumed by his own desire, every bit of his face showing it as he led them to climax.

And Amelia had enjoyed every second of it.

But now, his eyes had a brighter color when he looked at her. Amelia could identify the same desire and admiration, but something was different, because now Owen was looking at her overwhelmed by love. His face was more relaxed, his body less stiffened, and his kisses were slower and more delicate. He was taking his time gently savoring her, instead of hungrily devouring her as he'd done the previous night.

He propped his elbows on each side of her and slowly traced down a line of kisses down her body, slowly exploring. His experienced fingers pulled up her shirt, exposing the creamy skin of her stomach to his touch.

As Owen's tongue danced around her belly button, Amelia's hands involuntarily made their way through his blonde locks, silently clinging to him. Owen stopped for a while, looking directly at the edge of her pelvis, on the exact spot their baby was growing.

Amelia closed her eyes in satisfaction when Owen leaned forward and gently kissed her there, as if he could transmit all their love to their unborn child.

"Isn't it amazing," He said, feeling unusually emotional "that all of our children were conceived from love? This one was no different," He realized, amazed. "Amelia," Owen's face traveled back up to meet hers as he used his right hand to hold her chin and jaw "Babe, you've given me so much already," He said, referring to his amazing sons "I feel like I couldn't love you more than I already do and yet every day I surprise myself," He gave her a peck on the lips. "You are the freaking love of my life and I… I just want to… I love you." Owen stopped mid sentence, completely taken over by his feelings. No words would ever be enough to describe how he felt about her. He was in love with her. He always had been.

Amelia's heart skipped a beat as she listened to him, knowing that love declarations weren't really Owen's thing. He wasn't good with words; he was better at showing them. And that was exactly what he did.

His hands caressed her again as his lips traveled south on her body, covering her entire length. When Owen reached her thighs, he slowly pulled down her panties, torturing her with the soft touch of his lips. Amelia felt his stubble against the sensitive skin of her inner thigh, driving her crazy with desire.

He proceeded to explore her with his mouth, and when his tongue finally found her most sensitive spot, Amelia closed her eyes and arched her back, digging her hands in his hair, pulling him closer. Owen kissed her there slowly, taking his time to make the best of the experience for them both.

Amelia's eyes were closed as she gasped for air. Owen couldn't see her face directly, but as his tongue met the opening to her body, he swirled it around her, feeling Amelia's nails digging on his skin in response. It was the incentive he needed to suck and nip her ever harder, watching in delight as her body was assaulted by a mind blowing orgasm.

Owen traced his way back through her body, until his eyes leveled with hers. Amelia was still breathless, her body still shivering with the lasting sensation he had given her. Once he was on top of her, she could feel him hard through his clothes and the sensation added to her desire. Her hand made its way through the solid muscles of his abdomen, invading his boxers and closing itself around him.

"Someone else is up, too" She teased him, capturing his lower lip gently with her teeth. Owen gave her a dirty smile and got rid of his shirt.

"You have that effect on me," He explained, exploring her with his lips while Amelia didn't let him go.

Owen kissed her again, and when her lips were swollen and sensitive, he focused on her earlobe and neck, feeling her clasp her legs around his hips.

"Now, babe," Amelia looked deeply into his eyes, "I want you in me _now_."

Owen happily obliged and quickly got rid of the rest of his clothes. He used his hands to support his body as he covered hers. Amelia smiled invitingly at him, capturing his hands, eager to feel his weight on her. She felt Owen intertwine their fingers, just as he pressed against her, entering her body with a slow movement of his hips.

"Now, this feels right…" Amelia breathed in and out, grinning widely, assaulted by the most amazing sensations.

"It does," Owen kept on with his delicious torture, moving slowly in her body.

"Owen?" Amelia moaned, with her eyes closed, focusing entirely on the feeling of having him inside her, gently moving back and forth.

"Yes?"

"Don't ever leave me again," She opened her eyes and playfully smiled at him.

Owen chuckled with mirth, kissing her on the lips. He loved her so much. Amelia was the only woman he had ever been with who could make him do unthinkable things such as laugh during sex.

"You're stuck with me, babe," He joked, kissing her forehead again, feeling the gentle movement of her hips beneath his.

Minutes later, both his body and mind were recovering from the amazing sex they'd just had. Owen got up and went to the bathroom, keeping the door open. Amelia closed her eyes again, feeling her entire body relax as she was about to doze off again. That's why she was startled when she heard a sweet voice asking:

"Momma, why are you naked?"

Amelia's eyes opened with shock when she noticed Thomas was awake and had sneaked into their room. His messy hair and wrinkled clothes showed he had just been out of bed. She looked at the clock and noticed it was almost 8 in the morning. They definitely should have been more careful.

"Mommy was hot, honey," She smiled at him, grabbing Owen's shirt and putting it on.

"But it's snowing outside," Thomas pointed out, frowning "Do you want to go build a snowman, mommy? I can help you."

Amelia chuckled, enjoying how attentive and logical her little one was.

"You know what, baby, how about you give mom a hand with breakfast? You can help me make pancakes, what do you think?"

Thomas's eyes gleamed with excitement as he followed his mom downstairs, thoroughly enjoying having her to himself.

Owen had listened to the conversation from the bathroom and smiling with contentment, he joined his wife and son in the kitchen, laughing as Thomas tried to break an egg without making a mess.

"You're doing very well, nugget," Owen encouraged him, seeing his face light up with the comment.

They sat down to have breakfast and Thomas excused himself for a few seconds, leaving the room and coming back with a colorful book.

"Dad, will you read this for me?" He asked, climbing on the chair next to his father.

"How about you read it for me?" Owen suggested, remembering how well Thomas had been doing in school lately.

"Ok, I'll try," Thomas got on board and crawled onto his father's lap, slowly but correctly reading most of the words. Amelia sat opposite to them with her cup of coffee, her feet propped on the chair and arms embracing her knees as she smiled broadly at the scene playing out in front of her.

She got up and washed some of the dishes, and then left Owen with Thomas when she went upstairs to get dressed. A few minutes later, Owen saw his wife coming down, fully dressed in her work clothes.

"Where are you going?" He captured her by the waist just as she was about to pass by them.

"I have to go see a patient, a post op" Amelia explained with a sympathetic smile, kissing Thomas's head and looking Owen in the eye "I'll be back before lunch."

"Nooo," Owen protested, wishing more than anything that she could stay with him in bed for the rest of the morning. He had been without her for so long that he felt like he wanted Amelia in his arms for as long as he could keep her.

"I promise you this won't take long," She said, giving him a kiss on the forehead before she grabbed the car keys.

Owen directed his attention back to Thomas, hearing Amelia start the car from distance. Not too long later, one of the twins started to cry from his bedroom. Owen spent the entire morning looking after the boys and later when Amelia made it back home, they went outside to take the kids to lunch and then to the movies

They used the family time to let the boys know about the new baby. Lucas and Thomas had been surprisingly excited, and their joy had a contagious effect on Robbie and Danny, despite the twins not understanding that well what the news really meant.

"It's nearly Valentine's day," Owen commented as they walked around the mall, holding hands with Lucas and Thomas while Amelia did the same with Robbie and Danny. "Should we make plans?"

Amelia glanced over at her shoulder to look at him. Silently, her eyes traveled from the twins to their oldest sons, and then back to Owen, while keeping a playful smile on her face. He couldn't help chuckling.

"Maybe we can do something _after_ they've gone to bed?" Owen proposed, eager to spend time alone with his wife. Despite being back for over a week, he still missed hanging out with her.

"Or," Amelia teased, following him through the corridors of the mall "We could plan a date with the real estate website and start looking for houses," She suggested playfully, knowing very well that didn't come close to what Owen had in mind.

"Dad, look!" Lucas interrupted them, pointing to a store window "It's the brand new Sounders jersey! Can we get one? Please? Pleeease?"

Thomas joined his brother in the pleas, and quickly Robbie and Danny added to the insistent group.

When Amelia realized Owen actually planned to take up on the boys' requests, she asked, taken aback.

"Are you seriously going in that store to buy four jerseys?"

Owen smiled, proudly looking at her belly and corrected her:

"Five."

Amelia rolled her eyes impatiently. Boys and sports; that was one relationship she would never be able to understand.

"You know what, why don't you just get one for yourself already?" She provoked Owen, knowing he was just as excited about the new team jersey as the boys.

"You know what," Owen had fun with her impatience "I will."

He hid his laugh when Amelia let out a heavy sigh. Ten minutes later, they walked side by side, holding hands with four very happy little boys, all dressed up in the Seattle Sounders newest uniform.

"We'll save this one for when she goes home from the hospital," Owen said, holding a onesie with the team logo in his hands.

"Don't even think about it," Amelia warned him, protectively touching her belly.

Owen smirked.

"Oh, you have no idea," He teased her, knowing how outnumbered she was "Babe, you're the minority here." He raised his eyebrows as he fastened the boys in their car seats. "This one will be another player and every week we'll still sit down to watch Sunday football and you will have no choice but to join us."

Amelia let out a heavy sigh again.

"You're probably right," She gave in but couldn't help provoking "Unless of course this baby doesn't like sports." She used her best smug face to involve him.

"That is _not_ even an option," Owen replied very seriously "She will be a Hunt. Hunts watch football and play soccer and we like our leagues!" Owen pointed at their four sons.

"I am a Hunt," Amelia reminded him, sitting on the passenger seat smiling triumphantly. She had added her name to hers six months after they'd been married "and I don't like sports."

"I know one sport you like," Owen looked at her while he started the engine, giving her his best dirty grin.

Amelia gave up trying to win that stupid discussion and burst out laughing at her husband's nasty comment, making the boys wonder what was going on.

.

For the following weeks, Owen and Amelia repaired every last broken piece of their marriage by spending as much time together as possible. They kept looking at possible houses to buy, while keeping their busy schedule at the hospital and being there pretty much every morning and evening for their children.

Amelia was scheduled for an ultrasound late April, when she would be seventeen weeks along. Maggie, who was a few weeks ahead in her own pregnancy, had recently found out she was having a girl. Amelia didn't mind the baby's gender but she knew Owen had been secretly hoping for a daughter and she couldn't help wishing this time they would have a girl, just to see the happiness on his face when he found out about the news.

"Am I late?" Owen rushed into the OB consult room, after knocking to make sure his wife was the patient inside.

"Nope, we are just getting started," Ben Warren replied, applying the cold gel on Amelia's stomach.

Owen nodded gently and sat on a stool next to her, looking directly at the Ultrasound screen.

"Everything looks perfectly fine," Warren said, with a professional smile "Steady heartbeat, good estimate weight and height. Would you like to know your baby's gender?"

Owen looked conspicuously at Amelia and she agreed with her head, seeing the expectation in his eyes. They nodded affirmatively to their obstetrician, indicating he should go on with the exam.

Warren narrowed down his eyes, thoroughly inspecting the baby. It took him long seconds, but when he spoke, his voice was filled with excitement.

"This one likes to move, but I think I got a steady picture," He said with his usual positive attitude, "Congratulations, guys! You're having another boy!"


	9. Chapter 9

Hey guys!

I know some of you are disappointed that the new baby is a boy but just wait and see how much he'll add to the Family :)

An anon has requested (more than once I think) that I write more scenes about the boys getting into trouble and having Owen and Amelia discipline them, I promise I'll try to work more on that!

Here goes the newest chapter, I hope you all like it!

.

 **My Boys – Chapter 19**

" _Congratulations, guys! You're having another boy!"_

Ben's words echoed again in Amelia's head. That was a sentence she had heard many times in her life before, and each time it had been special. This time it was no different. But she worriedly glanced over her shoulder at Owen, seeing the shadow of disappointment deep down the blue of his eyes, despite the smile he kept on his face.

"That's… That's really great," Owen managed to say and Amelia could tell he was swallowing hard. She felt sorry for him, imagining how disappointed he should be, and how guilty that was probably making him feel.

Automatically, her hand searched for his and she squeezed it, supporting him without words. Owen looked from their joined hands to her eyes and he nodded, trying to sound sympathetic.

"Looks like we're adding more blue to the house," He said, chuckling for the first time.

"Yes," Amelia agreed with a sparkle in her eyes "looks like it."

As they left work later that evening, Amelia caught up to him walking towards the parking lot, and she held on to his arm with both hands, receiving a kiss on the top of her head.

"I am sorry, babe," She said, trying not to make him feel worse "I know how much you were hoping for a girl."

For a minute Owen didn't know what to say. He felt really guilty that he was feeling that way. Their baby was healthy and was growing strong and it was all that should matter. He had no right to feel frustrated or anything else.

"Maybe we can try again another time," He said, more to tease Amelia than anything else.

She looked at him, scared at first, but then she burst out laughing as she saw the playfulness in his eyes.

.

"I am gonna miss this house," Amelia said randomly, looking around. Their four sons were playing with lego sets in the living room and the house was awfully quiet. It was Friday afternoon and they had just closed the deal on a brand new two story, five bedroom house two blocks down the same street they lived in. But she would really miss the one they were living in right now.

"I am gonna miss the money we spent on the new one," Owen teased, thinking about the big investment they had made.

Amelia laughed, knowing he was joking. Owen wouldn't mind spending his last penny if it meant giving a better life to their family. It wasn't like they were broke, they were very good at saving up money and they both earned very good annual incomes, so even with the big buy, their financials were still in order.

"I think I just felt David kicking" Amelia eyes sparkled, and she immediately took Owen's hand and placed it on her belly. She was twenty weeks along now, and finally her bump was fairly noticeable. Just recently they had agreed on a name and they were both happy with the choice.

"I can't feel anything yet," Owen was visibly disappointed, but kept a smile on his face, excited about the baby.

Amelia was sitting on a stool by the kitchen counter and he was standing right in front of her, smiling widely. He still couldn't believe how amazing she looked. Every time she was carrying his child, Owen felt like waves of pride were bursting inside his chest. He never failed to notice how beautiful she looked with the pregnancy glow.

"It feels like this one is gonna be bigger than Lucas," Owen frowned, hoping he was wrong. Lucas had been their biggest newborn, weighing more than 9 pounds at birth. Addison, who had flown from LA to help with the delivery, was close to considering a C-section because Amelia nearly couldn't pass him. Owen had never been more desperate in his lifetime than on that hot July day, seeing his wife in so much pain and fearing for the well being of both her and their unborn son.

"It wouldn't surprise me if he were," Amelia said, rubbing her belly and then linking their hands "I hope not, of course." She was assaulted by the memories of childbirth. Her first son had been small, but all her babies with Owen had been bigger than the average. Even the twins had been born with nearly 5 pounds each, which was excellent for multiples.

Owen was amazed by how someone so small as Amelia could have birthed his sons, without ever complaining about it. She was a great mom, and she had been from the very beginning.

"You are a superhero," He teased, taking his hands to her cheeks, unable to contain his pride and admiration "I love you, you know that?"

"I never get tired of hearing it," She smiled at him before he gently covered her lips with his.

Owen leaned in to reach her, feeling the amazing softness of her lips against his. She tasted like chocolate and smelled like vanilla. Owen knew the latter was because of her shampoo. But there was no doubt she hadn't been resisting to sweets, going against the Obstetrician's recommendations.

"Have you been eating candy bars again?" He rolled his eyes playfully at her, giving up making her eat healthily during the pregnancy. The guilt was evident in her eyes. "Amelia!" Owen sighed impatiently.

She laughed at his discontentment, failing at apologizing.

"It wasn't for me, it was for him," She gave Owen her best puppy eyes and completely won him over.

"Right," Owen rolled his eyes, knowing how impossible she was "Hey, do you wanna take the boys out to dinner tonight? To celebrate the new house?"

Amelia looked deeply disappointed.

"I am on call tonight," She said, frustrated "But maybe you guys can pick me up tomorrow morning and we can go have breakfast together?"

"Sounds like a date," Owen replied, leaning in to kiss her again.

.

At the end of her shift, Amelia was welcomed by four little happy smiles that anxiously waited for her in the car.

"How was last night?" She asked Owen as she buckled her seatbelt "Did they give any trouble during bedtime?"

"No more than usual," Owen replied with a chuckle.

"Momma, Tommy broke my spider man," Danny complained.

"It wasn't on purpose!" Thomas justified, rolling his eyes "And you're a snitch, Danny."

"Am not," The toddler replied, outraged.

Amelia stopped them before it could become a heated argument, distracting them with information about the new school on which she and Owen were planning to enroll the boys. She had been on call with Arizona Robbins the previous evening, whose son also attended it, and what she'd heard from the fetal surgeon had only made Amelia hate the presumptuous school even more.

"You're not gonna believe this," She told Owen as they were accommodated on a booth at the small café near the hospital "Arizona said we are actually gonna need letter of recommendations from the other parents to enroll the boys there, this is ridiculous."

"We can ask Kepner and Karev," Owen said with his usual practicality.

"You don't get the point," Amelia replied, looking at him from over the menu "My concern is not about _getting_ the letters, but that we will need them in the first place."

"Babe, we've been through this many times," Owen sighed impatiently as he helped Robbie with a loaf of bread "We both know this is the best school in the city. Why wouldn't we want to send the boys there?"

"First, it's gonna bankrupt us," She listed, watching Owen laugh at her comment. The school tuition was very expensive but nothing they couldn't comfortably afford "Second, I don't want to have to deal with those people. Not again."

Owen knew Amelia had grown up in a preparatory school too and she hadn't exactly liked the experience, but that didn't mean their kids wouldn't make the most of it.

"They have a team of professionals who can help Luke with all the special attention he might need," He pointed out, going over the subject they had exhaustedly discussed during the past weeks "Plus, all of our friends send their kids there and none of them have a problem with it. It's a great school, Amelia."

"Yeah, right," Amelia said ironically. "I can't wait to be judged when we go there today." She added with sarcasm. "Did you double check with your mom if she can take the twins?"

"Yeah, I did," Owen confirmed as he served some butter on his toast "Speaking of which, have you noticed anything weird about my mom lately?"

"Weird?" Amelia frowned "No, your mom is great as usual. Why? What has she been up to?"

Owen thought for a moment and then shrugged his shoulders.

"Nothing, really, I just had the impression she's been a little off lately, forgetting about things, you know… I'm probably being too critical."

"Or maybe she has a new boyfriend," Amelia suggested, more to tease him than anything else. She knew Owen hated to consider his mother had a social life and could actually be dating again.

"Yeah, I'm not going to consider that," He said, grimly, ending the discussion. "Are you ready to order now?"

.

The following week, Amelia was paged for a consult in the ER. She saw April by the nurse station as soon as she got off the elevator.

"What have you got for me?" Amelia asked with a smile, in her usual good mood.

"MVA, thirty two year old male with ruptured spleen, we're going to take him upstairs now but he has a head lac and we thought you should take a look first to clear him for surgery."

"Yeah, sure," Amelia processed the information "Where is the patient?"

"Trauma two," April replied as she typed in some info on the patient's chart "I'll be there with you in a second."

Amelia made her way to the trauma room, surprised to see James Peterson there. He was busy suturing the head laceration, but Amelia still had to do a neurological exam and assess the patient. James looked more distant, somewhat different than his usual self, but Amelia didn't want to start any kind of conversation that involved any private matter.

"Hey," She greeted him distractedly while she put the X ray scans against the light to get a better view.

"Dr. Shepherd," James replied, formally. "I'll be done here in a second."

"No rush," Amelia replied uncomfortably and then proceeded to examine the patient. After a few minutes, she cleared him for surgery and had just left the trauma room when James caught up with her.

"Hey, I need to talk to you," He said, leading her to an empty consult room.

Amelia didn't have time to protest before he closed the door behind them.

"What do you want, James? I've told you before that I have nothing left to say to you" She emphasized, reaching for the door handle.

"Amelia!" James insisted, and seeing she was about to leave, grabbed her forearm to stop her "Listen to me!" Amelia felt his fingers painfully closing on her forearm and was about to make a scene to get rid of him when she heard him say "I am divorcing my wife," He looked defeated and let go of her when he noticed his words had caught her attention.

"That's none of my business," Amelia said, pulling herself together, fleeing from his reach.

"Yeah, I know," James looked down on the floor, not really knowing what to say. "I just thought you should know that."

They were both silent for long seconds while Amelia debated whether or not to continue that conversation.

"Why?" She asked, trying not to sound angry. Amelia didn't understand James' insistence. She had made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with him. She was happily married and she loved Owen. There was no way she would want to be closer to any other man.

"Why?" James struggled with his words, pacing back and forth in the tiny room "Because you goddamn left, Amelia, that's why!" He looked up at her, and she could see the anger that lingered in the shadow of his blue eyes "You left and I was heartbroken for months. It took me years to finally let myself be close to someone again and…and you didn't even call! We were engaged, but you left, and you didn't look back" He said, angry and mortified. "I was a hundred percent invested in you and you… You didn't even blink." The hurt and frustration was clear in his voice as he proceeded "You never really loved me, did you? You came here, decided to leave everything behind with no hesitation, and then you met a new guy and married him. You were never sorry that you broke what we had."

Amelia didn't know what to say. Back then, when she had broken up with James, she knew he would be heartbroken. But she had been so involved with her new life in Seattle that she really hadn't called. Ever. Not even to ask how he had been doing. She had been selfish and petty but only because she had no idea he had been through all that. If she'd known she could have somewhat made the break up easier for him, she would have probably tried to make things easier for him.

"I am sorry you ever had to feel that way, James." Amelia replied, honestly. "You were very important to me in a really difficult period of my life and for that I will always be grateful. I wasn't pretending. I really did like you, James."

"But you didn't love me," He completed the sentence for her.

Amelia looked up at him. She didn't know if he was heartbroken, if he had a bruised ego or both.

"I was never in love with you," She confessed. "I am sorry."

At the time, Amelia really thought she had been. But what she had once felt for James didn't come close to the feelings she had for Owen, making her realize the truth.

James didn't say anything back, he stood up looking at her, as if expecting her to take the next step. Amelia saw the silent plea in his eyes but she didn't take him up on it. She couldn't nor did she want to.

"I am sorry you're getting divorced." She said, reaching for the door "I hope you feel better once all of this is over."

"Yeah, right." James rolled his eyes. He wasn't happy with the truth but he had finally heard from Amelia what he needed to know. Once for all, he understood that he never stood a chance with her again. And all that was left to him was to silently watch her walk away, exactly as it had already happened in their past.

.

Owen watched from a distance as his wife came out of a consult room, but his happy smile quickly vanished as he saw James Peterson emerging from the same room just seconds after. They didn't say anything to each other, instead both walked on different directions. Owen looked at the ER board and noticed the room they had been in was vacant.

He wondered what the hell his wife was doing in there with that guy. As he felt jealousy stinging him, he took a deep breath and remembered this was Amelia. She wouldn't do that. She wouldn't do anything behind his back. He was sure she had a very good explanation for the scene and to his relief, Amelia came up to meet him in the attendings' lounge right before lunch.

While they ate, Owen attentively listened to her talk about her surgery, then tell him some story about how Robbie had tricked her that morning into thinking he was Danny to get another cookie and only when they were almost done with lunch she commented:

"I was in the ER earlier today," She started casually, noticing she had captured Owen's attention with that information.

"Yeah?"

"Kepner asked me to see the spleen lac patient," She told him, distractedly running a plastic fork through her nearly empty dish "James asked to talk to me afterwards." Amelia tried to be careful with her choice of words.

"What did he want?" Owen asked, glad she was telling him about their encounter.

"He told me he is getting divorced."

"Did he hit on you?" Owen blatantly asked.

Amelia looked into his eyes, smiling at his jealousy. Owen was really bad at hiding it.

"Not really," Amelia had to think about it to reply "I mean, I think that he would if he thought there was the slightest chance I would say yes to him? I don't know. It's like he doesn't get over the fact that I broke up with him, but that was years ago. I don't think he wants me back or anything like that. I think he just can't deal with the fact I left him. You would expect him to think that's water under the bridge by now, right? But apparently not."

Owen shrugged, not sure what to say. He didn't really know the guy to be able to understand how James Peterson would react in any hypothetical circumstance.

"I don't know, babe. But the decent thing to do would be to stay away. He knows you are married and that should be enough for him to back the hell off and not approach you in any way that is not professional."

"You're right," Amelia agreed. She and James didn't have a personal relationship anymore. He had no right to treat her as if they still did or as if she still owed him anything. She knew she hadn't left him in the best way, but he had to respect that she had her own life now. "I think he doesn't understand why anyone would leave him, you know? Anyway, it doesn't matter. I think I've made it pretty clear to him where I stand on this."

Owen nodded, silently agreeing. They chatted for another fifteen minutes and just when they were about to leave, Amelia bent down to pick up the fork she'd just dropped, making Owen notice a dark bruise around her wrist that certainly hadn't been there that morning.

"What happened?" He held her hand gently, pulling up the sleeve of her shirt to inspect the mark on her skin.

"It was nothing," Amelia said dismissively, pulling her arm back.

Owen frowned at her attitude.

"Amelia, what happened?" He asked again in a more serious tone.

Amelia was embarrassed to tell him that James' grip on her wrist had caused that. She had nearly slapped James when he had forcefully held her, but it had all happened so fast she didn't even notice his grasp had bruised her. It was a small dark circle, almost imperceptible, but not to Owen.

Her silence on the matter made Owen grow suspicious by the minute and then he remembered the events of that morning. Amelia had entered an empty room with a person she didn't wish to speak to.

"It was him, wasn't it?" Owen asked with a calculated voice, but the fury was growing stronger by the second in his heart. If that guy had touched his wife, his pregnant wife, Owen wasn't sure what he was capable of doing. "Amelia?"

"It was nothing," She said, more to calm him down than because she actually believed it. James had no right to hold her wrist, let alone hurt her, but she was willing to let it pass if it meant she didn't have to see him again.

Owen saw the truth and the embarrassment in her eyes and he didn't wait for an explanation. In his mind, there could be no explanation. James Peterson had hurt his wife, physically, and that was something Owen would _never_ accept.

"Owen, where are you going?" Amelia got desperate when she noticed Owen was heading straight to the door very determined.

"Where am I going?" Owen looked back at her and she could see the dangerous anger in his eyes "I am going to kill that son of a bitch!"


	10. Chapter 10

My Boys – Chapter 20

Amelia rushed to the door, stopping Owen before he could leave the room.

"Owen Hunt, get your ass back in here right now!" She used the same voice she used to reprimand their sons when they were acting out.

Owen ignored her completely and took two large strides towards the stairs, but Amelia firmly stood in front of him, both hands splayed on his chest pushing him back.

"Owen!" She called him out with fierce determination. When he stopped, Amelia used his hesitation to take him back to the attendings' lounge and closed the door after them "Stay right here. You are not going anywhere."

"Amelia," Owen tried to get past her "The guy _hurt_ you. He actually, physically _hurt_ you. The least I should do is beat the shit out of him."

"I am not defending him, but seriously? You're gonna go there and do what, beat him up?" Owen looked at her like that was the obvious answer but Amelia carried on "You're _not_ gonna resort to violence. James grabbed my arm to make me stay and listen to what he had to say but obviously he didn't mean to hurt me-"

"I don't mean to hurt him," Owen interrupted her and added ironically "Much."

Amelia couldn't help chuckling at his rebelliousness and Owen was contaminated by her, feeling calmer.

"Promise me you won't go pick a fight with him upstairs," She demanded.

"Amelia…"

"Promise me!"

He paced back and forth for a few seconds, struggling.

"Okay," Owen gave in, frustrated. He ran a hand through his hair, trying his best to be rational. Deep inside, he was boiling with anger and all he wanted to do was go downstairs and punch the guy in the face. But he knew there were a million reasons why he shouldn't.

"Owen?" Amelia could see the hesitation still lingering in his eyes.

"Fine!" He raised his hands in a surrender gesture and got away from the door, sitting on one of the couches in an attempt to calm down.

Amelia sat down by his side and took a deep breath too. She then held his hand between hers and gently kissed it before saying:

"I know it's taking you all you have and more not to go downstairs right now and solve this thing the old fashioned way," She admitted, thankful she had been able to get through to him "I know you feel protective of me and I can see why this would drive you mad. So, know that I appreciate you having my back. Thank you."

Owen let out a heavy sigh and squeezed her hand tighter, silently answering her.

"I'm gonna spend the rest of the day in the OR, because I am afraid if I go downstairs, I might end up breaking my promise," Owen confessed. He got up and leaned over, giving Amelia a kiss on the cheek before getting ready to leave.

"You make me so proud," Amelia teased, blowing a kiss his direction before she watched him leave, visibly much calmer than he had been just a few minutes before.

.

Owen made it home before Amelia that evening, and it was up to him to cook dinner for them and the boys. It was already past the boys' bedtime when she finally arrived, dumping her handbag on the floor and crashing on the couch.

"Are you okay?" Owen asked from the kitchen, seeing the look of defeat in her. After putting the boys to bed, he'd come back to put the dishes in the washer.

"I am exhausted," Amelia confessed, painfully shifting on the couch to take what she realized was a toy car from beneath her back. She tossed it aside before asking "Hey, aren't you going to basketball tonight?"

"I didn't know if you were gonna make it home in time for me to go," Owen said, approaching her in the living room and giving her a kiss on the head "You look awful, babe. Do you want me to stay?"

"No, go," Amelia gave him a smile despite her exhaustion "The boys are already asleep and I plan to do the same as soon as I eat something."

"Okay, then." Owen said excitedly and went up to get his gym bag.

Every Monday evening, Owen played basketball with the guys from the hospital. It was a fifteen minute drive to the club and almost everyone was already there. He saw Ben Warren amidst the crowd and went over to talk to him. Owen had just finished answering Ben's question about how Amelia had been feeling that week when he couldn't believe the sight in front of him.

Walking side by side with a third year surgical resident, came James Peterson, the person Owen wanted the least to see. His resident introduced him to the rest of the guys, and explained how he had mentioned the game from earlier that day and James had been interested. Everyone happily welcomed him to the group, but only Ben noticed Owen didn't look happy at all.

"What's up, man?" Ben asked, crushing Owen's chest with a basketball "Looks like you've seen a ghost or something."

Owen stopped imagining ways to hurt James Peterson and looked at his friend.

"Let's just play."

To Owen's satisfaction, he was picked to a different team than James. The ER doctor had greeted Owen the same way he had greeted everybody else, and he didn't seem to have noticed the surgeon had clearly avoided his gaze.

Owen had made a promise to Amelia that he wouldn't pick a fight with James on purpose, but he hadn't said anything about James picking a fight with him. Throughout the entire game, he couldn't help being more physical than usual, especially towards James. The final blow came when Owen disputed a ball with him and easily won the possession, but knocked James on the face with his shoulder before they both landed from their jump.

"I think maybe you should take a break," Ben tactfully said to Owen while some other guys helped James with his bleeding nose. Ben had noticed the treatment Owen had reserved for the new guy, but didn't dare get into the matter. He knew Owen was a private guy, but he was always very peaceful and played very fairly. So, there had to be a reason why he was acting so awkwardly.

"You know what, I'll just hit the showers," Owen said, still angry about the situation, but relieved he'd been able to at least get back at James somehow.

Already at the locker room, Owen started to gather his stuff. He hadn't been there for five minutes when he heard someone storming in. He wasn't surprised to see it was James, still holding a pack of ice on his face.

"What's your damn problem?" James straightforward asked, visibly irritated.

Owen turned his back on him and walked away, deciding it wasn't worth to discuss with the guy, but James followed him and insistently took his attention by standing up in his way.

"You don't want to do this, Peterson," Owen warned him, raising one finger.

"Do what, exactly?" James asked, nervously. "Is this about your wife? Because…"

"Don't you dare talk about my wife!" Owen's voice sounded dangerously calm as he interrupted the conversation.

James had always known Owen wasn't exactly his biggest fan, but the surgeon had always treated him with civility. After all, they worked together. But today, he was visibly frustrated and the only reason James could think of to explain his changed behavior was the conversation he'd had with Amelia earlier that day. He probably knew about it already, most likely from Amelia.

"So, what, now I can't talk to her?" James frowned, visibly annoyed. He didn't see the harm in it, and couldn't figure out why the surgeon was so out of his mind. Owen thought he looked pathetic, standing in front of him with a bleeding nose, trying to act toughly. "You can't make me _not_ talk to her, you know?" James spitefully provoked, unable to hold back his jealousy.

Owen Hunt had married his fiancé. The children James had once dreamed of having with her were Owen's. He was the one Amelia came home to and James couldn't understand what the guy had that was so special. But she was in love with him and he was the one who made her happy, despite James thinking he could be a much better man to Amelia. In his mind, nothing about that was fair.

"Oh, you can talk to her alright," Owen kept his low voice, seeing how intimidated the other guy was by his voice and his physical superiority when he took two steps in James' direction, engulfing him with his presence "But you do as much as lay a finger on her again, I will do the same to you" Owen looked suggestively at his bleeding nose and the newly black eye "And I promise you I won't be as gentle as I was tonight."

He then slammed one of the locker doors after him, startling James and with a smile of pride on his face, walked away triumphantly, knowing he had finally made peace with that situation.

.

Owen walked into his bedroom expecting to find Amelia already deeply asleep but to his surprise, he found her relaxing in the bathtub. She greeted him silently when he walked into the bathroom, watching as he took a quick shower to get rid of his gym sweat.

"Are you okay in there?" Owen approached her, with a towel wrapped around his waist. "You look exhausted, babe. Don't you wanna go to bed?"

"I stood in the OR for God knows how many hours today," She explained. "My feet are killing me."

Owen knew that standing up for hours was hard on anyone, let alone on a pregnant woman. He saw the need in her eyes and quickly unwrapped his towel, gently joining her in the bathtub, sitting opposite to his wife.

Amelia sunk in the bathtub all the way to her neck when she felt his large hands reaching for her feet and gently massaging them. Even though that could be quite a turn on, at that moment it had a much more relaxing effect.

"Oh, I love you so much right now…" Her voice sounded hoarse.

Owen chuckled and kissed her ankle playfully.

"You know, I think I might have been a bit of a dick today," He confessed.

Amelia opened her eyes and looked at him, visibly puzzled. Owen then proceeded to tell her the events of that evening but even though she disapproved of his physical antics, she was happy he hadn't turned it into a bigger circus.

"To be honest, I am too tired to be mad at you at the moment," Amelia stared at him, "Especially if arguing with you would cost me this massage."

"It would," Owen winked mischievously and gently pulled her legs, making her slide on the bathtub straight into his arms "I am actually feeling sorry for you, you know?" He chuckled, seeing the drained look on her face. Owen wrapped both arms around her, making her rest her back against his chest and kissed her temple with affection.

Amelia left out a sound yawn and nestled closer to him, feeling the warmth of his solid body. Owen's hand traveled to her belly, where it stopped, feeling the growing bump beneath his open palm.

"How is little Dave doing?" He asked, rubbing her gently. He had gotten used to the idea of having a fifth son and the thought had been growing on him, especially now he realized he'd have enough boys to make a basketball team.

"Very, very well," Amelia intertwined her fingers with his and kept her eyes closed, enjoying their cuddling "It's driving me crazy to think about the move. I don't know how we'll handle it."

"That's why we hired a company to do it," Owen reminded her, kissing her cheek when she playfully bit his arm.

"Yes, but we have to sort out all of our private stuff, which means once again we're gonna go crazy with paperwork, and documents, and then there are the kids…" She rambled "Not to mention my schedule at work is absolutely full because I had to anticipate all my spring surgeries since the baby is…"

Owen interrupted her with a kiss on her lips. When she didn't protest, he held her jaw with one hand, deepening the kiss, until she was smiling against his mouth.

"What was I saying?" Amelia teased, feeling him wrap his arms around her even tighter.

"We were just thinking about going to sleep," Owen lied, making her laugh.

They got out of the bath and once already dressed in their comfortable pajamas, fell asleep in each other's arms.

.

The following weeks flew by. They were so busy with the move they didn't have time to concentrate on anything else.

Amelia's pregnancy progressed smoothly, as all of her previous ones. In her two following ultrasounds, their son was either moving too much or showing his back, so they never got to see his face or have his image to keep.

"You know what," Amelia said, frustrated, while she helped Owen unpack boxes at their new house. They were slowly moving their personal stuff but the actual move was scheduled for the following week "We should have his butt printed. This way, when he asks us for his first baby picture, I will give that to him."

Owen laughed, thinking about the likely troublemaker that was on the way. He could barely wait. Amelia was already at thirty eight weeks and she could go into labor at any minute now. Bailey and Owen had made her stop operating but she would still show up at the hospital, telling people from her department what to do and how to do it, in her usual bossy manner.

"Why is this house so quiet?" She looked up from the box of books to Owen, suspiciously.

Owen looked around. He didn't see or hear any of the boys and that was slightly alarming. Together, they made their way from the living room to the rooms upstairs, whose walls had just finished being painted.

"Oh my God!" Amelia's eyes were wide with shock when she saw the scene in front of them. "You guys are green!"

Lucas proudly held a paintbrush and there was green paint all over his hands, arms and on the floor. But most importantly, Robbie and Danny were completely covered in paint, from their heads to their toes

"Did you just paint your brothers?" Amelia asked with disbelief.

"What the hell…?" Owen frowned too, noticing the twins. Only their blue eyes stood out amidst all the green. He wanted to laugh, but he saw the look on Amelia's face and held it back.

"Tommy said that if we mixed black paint with this light green, we would get the color of Hulk," Lucas explained, very seriously "So we did it and now we're trying it on to see if it works." The boy added, as if that was a perfectly reasonable excuse.

Amelia's eyes searched the room and she saw Thomas on the corner, with his hands clean and his perfectly tidy clothes. The guilt was evident in his eyes. He was too smart for his own good, Amelia thought. And also to get his hands dirty.

"I don't know if I should start with you," She looked from Thomas to Lucas "Or with you," Her voice was dangerously calm, as she felt a familiar pain assaulting her lower back.

"Maybe we should start here," Owen suggested, picking the twins to take them straight to the shower but then he heard a gentle scream coming from Amelia's mouth.

"What happened?" He asked, nervously.

"My water," Amelia explained, taking her hands to her abdomen as she slowly felt the beginning of a new contraction as her legs got soaked with a warm liquid "My water just broke."

.

Never in Owen's wildest dreams would he had imagined entering an ER with a screaming wife in labor; two sons covered in green paint and the other two looking extremely confused. This was Amelia's fifth labor, so it was to be expected it progressed faster than usual. All he could manage to do before grabbing their bags and getting his family in the car was to call his mother and notify the hospital.

April Kepner was already at the ER entrance waiting for them with a wheelchair for Amelia. She noticed the messy situation with the kids and questioned him with his eyes.

"Don't ask," Owen said, pushing Amelia's chair to the elevator "Where is Warren?"

"He is already waiting for you guys upstairs," April said, stretching her hands to get the twins from his arms "I'll handle the wicked ones here," She grinned, and led the way for Thomas and Lucas too "Come on guys, I think I have some of Joey's toy cars in my purse, let's go get them."

Thomas and Lucas hesitantly followed their aunt April while Owen rushed with Amelia, hopping on the first elevator.

"Oh, damn, I wanna kill you!" Amelia screamed when she felt another stinging contraction causing a wave of excruciating pain.

"We'll take care of this in a second, babe, I love you," Owen said, pressing the elevator button, hating to see her suffer. "Oh, God, I can't believe it, this is happening again," He said between excitement and worry.

Warren and the OB team were already waiting for them. The whole procedure lasted less than an hour. Owen stood by Amelia's side and felt his hand nearly break when she squeezed it as hard as she could to help her push.

"I can see his head, Amelia, keep pushing," Ben advised, paying attention to every little move. He was worried about Cephalopelvic Disproportion, a condition where the baby's head was too large to pass through the mother's pelvis. He had studied Amelia's files during her pre natal consults and he'd seen that the same condition had been suspected during her previous labors.

"Ben, what's wrong?" Amelia asked between contractions when she saw the preoccupied look on his face.

"You're at ten centimeters and I can see the head right here," Ben tried to keep her calm, "Just take a deep breath and push. We can't risk having him on the birth canal for too long."

Amelia knew that if the baby didn't pass, he was at risk for oxygen deprivation. She looked up at Owen, worriedly, silently seeking for his support. His hand traveled to her face and very firmly he told her:

"Amelia, you can do this," Owen ran his hand through her hair, gently pulling it back up to make her more comfortable. He hated that they were in that situation, again. Owen tried his best to remain calm, for the sake of his wife and child. Drops of sweat ran through her neck and he could see the veins popping up as she pushed harder when another contraction hit her.

"Amelia," They both noticed the change in Ben's voice and looked at him, desperately. When Warren was sure she was between contractions and could pay attention, he added "Listen, the baby moved and he is compressing the chord. That's compromising his blood flow. You have to do this, _now_ " His voice was firm and Amelia didn't have time to be desperate.

She realized her baby was in actual danger of being without oxygenated blood and the risks were too high. Feeling taken over by strength she never knew she could ever feel, she pushed as hard as her body could. An awful sensation of pain assaulted her as she felt her insides being stretched to the limit, but after a fraction of second, all the pain was gone.

A baby's cry sounded like music to her ears and amidst all the emotions, she started to cry too. Owen looked from Ben's hands to her and he cried along with her, sharing her happiness. But their smiles quickly vanished when they saw the terrorized look on Ben Warren's face.

"What's wrong?" Amelia asked, leaning over to see her baby for the first time, afraid of what she would see. Ben Warren looked mortified and she knew that meant something definitely wasn't right. A million possibilities ran through Amelia's mind until she couldn't take it any longer. Moving on the chair even though the clamp hadn't been cut yet, Amelia hysterically asked "Ben, for God's sake, tell me! What is wrong with David?"


	11. Chapter 11

My Boys – Chapter 21

" _Ben, for God's sake, tell me! What is wrong with David?"_

As Amelia asked the question, she looked up from Ben to Owen, expecting some kind of answer. Her husband was standing much closer to Warren and had a clear view of their screaming newborn. But he didn't look worried; quite the contrary. Owen's face was paler than usual, but overwhelmed with a genuine surprise.

"Looks like David," Ben said with a chuckle as he cut the cord and wrapped the baby in a blanket with the help of a nurse "is actually a girl."

Amelia's eyes widened with shock and she forgot about everything else when the nurse placed a pink chubby baby on her chest. Amelia looked at the precious new life, screaming her lungs out with so much vitality that it made her heart melt.

Her eyes immediately searched for Owen's and she noticed he was still as white as a ghost.

"Babe," She smiled in tears "Babe, look, we have a little girl…"

After hearing her words, Owen finally overcame the initial shock and blinked repeatedly, not believing the scene that was playing out in front of him. He reached out his hands and when he touched her, his daughter immediately grabbed his finger with her tiny little hand.

Owen felt an indescribable wave of love assaulting him. The emotion was so intense that it brought tears to his eyes. He had never felt as protective as he felt at that moment. That perfect baby girl stole his heart completely right there and then. And he knew the world would never be the same again.

"Amelia…" Owen managed to say, unable to control himself "Amelia, she is perfect. She is so perfect!"

Amelia wrapped one arm around him, crying at his immeasurable joy.

"Guys, I am so sorry," Ben Warren was mortified "I honestly don't know how this could have happened."

Amelia and Owen looked at each other, wondering the same thing, and then looked again at Ben.

"It doesn't matter, really," Owen assured his friend "This is the best thing that could have happened."

And he meant every word.

Later when Amelia was already accommodated in a private room with her newborn suckling fiercely on her breast, she recalled all the events of her pre natal care with her husband.

Ben Warren had diagnosed her pregnant with a boy at 17 weeks, which was usually fairly accurate, but not always. And then on her following scans, their baby had always been with their back turned, never showing her face or the front of her body. They had never confirmed the baby was really a boy; they were just so used to the idea of having boys that the thought of questioning the baby's gender had never crossed their minds, especially when all the previous predictions had been right in former pregnancies.

"Amelia, she is so precious," Meredith Grey said as she bent down by Amelia's side to meet her niece.

The pride on the faces of the new parents showed they absolutely agreed with Meredith.

"Where are the boys?" Amelia glanced over her daughter to Owen and his mother, who were sitting on a couch by her bedside "I want to see them."

"Lucas and Thomas are upstairs playing with the kids at daycare," Meredith informed them. "As for the twins, last time I saw them Kepner had washed off all the green."

They continued to admire their newborn girl for a while longer and after a few minutes, Meredith excused herself. Just as she was leaving, Kepner walked in holding hands with one of the twins.

"Hey, sweetheart!" Amelia replied excited to see one of the boys. She wanted her entire family there to celebrate their newest addition "Come here meet your little sister."

As Robbie made his way up to his mom's bed, April admired the new baby girl from her position.

"Danny is upstairs sleeping on Bailey's couch. She is filling out some paperwork and said she will keep an eye on him. He looked exhausted but Robbie here insisted on being brought back to his momma." Kepner explained, before leaving to give the family some privacy.

Amelia ran a hand through her son's fluffy blonde hair and kissed him on the top of his head gently, holding the baby with the other hand. She loved her children so much she couldn't begin to explain.

Robbie was intrigued at first, but it soon gave away to curiosity. He asked if he could touch the baby and Amelia explained he had to be very gentle, letting the boy smoothly rub his little sister's tiny foot. Robbie giggled when he felt the softness of the newborn's skin, making Amelia laugh along.

After breastfeeding, the baby was handed over to her grandmother. Robbie quickly followed after, already feeling very affectionate towards the new member of the family.

Owen sat down on the bed by Amelia's side, holding her in his arm. He was distractedly asking how she was feeling, but when Amelia didn't reply, he noticed she was focused on the scene in front of her. Immediately, he looked towards his mother, noticing Evelyn holding the baby with Robbie excitedly walking around them.

Something was off, Owen noticed. It wasn't the first he thought his mother wasn't acting quite like herself. She had a disoriented look on her face and after a few minutes of adoringly staring at her baby granddaughter, she sat down close to Robbie, nearly sobbing with emotion:

"Aren't you happy you're a big brother, Owen? Your dad is gonna be so thrilled when he finally comes home! We always wanted a daughter so you could have a little sister," The elderly woman held the baby close to her body "Isn't Megan a sweet darling? You're a big brother now!"

Robbie looked at his grandmother, visibly confused. Amelia and Owen exchanged preoccupied looks and they confirmed their suspicion in each other's eyes.

"Mom?" Owen got up from the bed and walked toward her, noticing she looked confused. Evelyn looked up to the grown man standing in front of her and then down to Robbie, visibly confusing him for her son. Owen knew his mother hardly ever mentioned his late sister, so it was obvious something wasn't right. "Mom, are you okay?"

Evelyn looked up at Owen, but she didn't recognize him.

"I just had a daughter and I am waiting for my husband. He is – he's…" She stuttered, visibly confused. Looking around, she grabbed Robbie's arm and brought him nearer, as if protecting the boy from a supposedly stranger "I am waiting for my husband."

"Mom, it's me, Owen" He kneeled down in front of her, reaching out to take his daughter "This is your granddaughter. She wasn't named yet. And this is your grandson Robert," Owen pointed out, searching in his mother's eyes for any glimpse of recognition.

Evelyn stood up quickly, with the baby in her arms and hurriedly grasped Robbie's hand.

"These are my children," She said, looking very defensive "I don't know who you are, but I am gonna have to ask you to step aside, sir."

By that moment, Amelia had already got up from the bed, and in a matter of seconds, she gently took Robbie from her mother in law's hand and swiftly handed him over to Owen, keeping Evelyn's attention with her eyes. Both she and Owen realized Evelyn was feeling threatened by his presence and they feared she would act out while holding the children if she felt one of them was trying to forcefully take one of the kids.

"Hi, Evelyn, I'm Amelia, I work here at the hospital and I'll be helping you today," She said, looking extremely calm, but inside she was mortified. Her delusional mother in law held her newborn child tightly, and she was protecting her like a lioness, thinking the baby was her own "Why don't you lie down and hand me Megan so I can help you take care of her?"

Amelia's sweetness won Evelyn over, and despite still suspicious, she handed the baby to the woman she now thought was a nurse. Amelia gave a quick sideway glance to Owen, telling him to step aside because she was going to take over the situation.

"So, Evelyn," Amelia guided the elderly to the patient bed "I know you're probably tired with two kids and just want to rest but I am curious, how old are you?"

"I am thirty one," Evelyn quickly replied, smiling at the woman who was being too kind.

"And you're waiting for your husband?" Amelia gave her a tender smile, even though she was shaking on the inside.

Evelyn looked at her, confused. She had no idea. She could hardly remember anything and it embarrassed her.

"I have a splitting headache that won't let me sleep," Evelyn randomly confessed, oscillating between her hallucination and reality.

"Really?" Amelia asked, puzzled "Is that new or…?"

"No, I've been feeling it for weeks now," Evelyn confessed, confused "I just didn't want to say anything to my son because…" She mumbled, disconnected "Well, he is three years old, how silly of me."

"I see," Amelia put Megan on the small cradler next to them and helped Evelyn get in the bed "You didn't want to worry him?"

"Yes, he is a very good man, you know," Evelyn smiled, going back and forth in the timeline of her life "He is an Army surgeon. I fear for his life every day, but he makes me so proud to be out there fighting for us…"

Amelia looked back and met Owen's terrified gaze. His mother was clearly hallucinating, and her mind was oscillating as if she was lost in time. There had been no doubt just a few minutes before, Evelyn thought their newborn was her own daughter Megan, and she had mistaken Robbie for younger Owen. And now she was acting like they were back in time ten years.

"You know what, Evelyn?" Amelia gently tucked her in "You look like you could use some rest. I'll give you some medication that will help you sleep," She had already whispered to Owen what he should get from the nurses' station "This should help you calm down," She picked up a syringe "It might sting a little bit…" She said, as she applied the medication on her mother in law's nose.

It took Evelyn a few seconds to doze off. Amelia turned around, worriedly searching for Owen.

"Go get Edwards," She commanded, not wasting any time. Owen quickly asked one of the nurses to page the neurosurgery fellow and in a matter of minutes, Stephanie Edwards walked into the room.

"Hey guys, what happened?" She noticed the adorable baby in Amelia's arms and couldn't resist "She is so amazing," She looked from Amelia to Owen, expecting to see joy stamped in their eyes but all she found was worry "Oh my God, is everything okay with the baby?" She was oblivious as to why she had been paged "I just heard it's not a boy. What's going on?"

Amelia immediately filled Edwards in, explaining all the chain of events. The baby was absolutely fine, but her mother in law was absolutely scaring them.

Both Edwards and Amelia went over the few things they knew: A few weeks before, Owen had mentioned to Amelia that he thought his mother wasn't acting quite like herself. Now, after dissecting from Owen the details of his impression, they found out he thought his mother was having a hard time remembering things and she was forgetting things too easily. The elderly woman had also mentioned she had been having headaches. And on top of that, she had acutely hallucinated in front of them.

Amelia knew better than anyone that the human brain was a unique organ. Signs and symptoms could indicate a wide range of conditions. But she also knew that in Evelyn's case, judging by her presentation, there was likely one very logical explanation.

"I want an MRI right now, Edwards."

At Owen's insistence, Amelia stayed back in the room with the baby. She had just given birth a few hours before and was in no shape to walk around the hospital pushing gurneys or giving orders. Amelia couldn't really ask for Maggie's help because she was at home with her young baby, and the only other person she truthfully trusted with her child was possibly very ill.

The notion that her mother in law likely had a severe neurological condition made Amelia's heart sink. She had only met Evelyn a few months before she had married Owen, but over the years, they had developed a close relationship. Amelia considered her a second mother, much closer than her own. She was an amazing mom to her husband and equally amazing grandmother to her children.

The thought made Amelia look again at the baby in her arms. Her daughter was so precious. She deserved everything. The baby that once again breastfed with so much vitality deserved better than being reduced to the background on the very first day of her life. Everything had happened so fast that they didn't even have the time to name her yet.

Amelia's eyes traveled around the room and met Robbie's. The boy was sitting in a corner of the room, trying to keep quiet. She noticed the scared look on his face and guilt started to consume her. She now had five children and absolutely no idea how she would split her time and attention between all of them. Already feeling like she was failing, Amelia looked at her young son:

"Come here, baby," She stretched out one arm, watching as Robbie quickly ran to her "Everything is okay," She placed him on her lap, next to his sister and kissed the top of his head, gently caressing it "Mom is here and there is no need to be scared."

"Momma, is grandma sick?"

"I don't know, darling. Daddy took her upstairs so the other doctors can examine her, okay? He is gonna take care of her."

Robbie accepted her explanation and looked at the baby that shared his mother's attention with him. She didn't look happy at all.

"Why is Megan crying, mommy?"

Amelia looked at her dear boy, shyly smiling. She shifted the newborn daughter in her arms, so that she could again grasp her breast. Once sucking again, the baby immediately stopped crying.

"Her name is not Megan, Robbie."

"Then, what?"

Amelia laughed for the first time.

"I don't know yet. We haven't chosen a name for her. Dad and I want you and your brothers to help us choose. What do you think we should call her?"

Without hesitation, Robbie replied:

"Ladybug."

Amelia burst out laughing, thinking about the cartoon the twins like to watch and wrapped one arm tightly against her son. At her insistence, Lucas, Thomas and Danny were brought to her and Meredith helped by staying for a while and watching the kids. At her sister's insistence, Amelia let her take home her sons, since Owen would probably spend the night with his mother and there was no one else available to watch them. In about half an hour after Owen had taken his mother upstairs with Edwards, Riggs showed up, helping Meredith guide the four boys to the car.

Amelia's impatience was starting to grow. Her husband and her former resident were taking forever and no one was updating her. She sighed heavily, feeling her worry grow by minute. She couldn't take it any longer.

Against all medical advice and her own good sense, Amelia held her daughter in her arms, put on the hospital flip flops and wearing a hospital gown, rushed out of the room.

"Dr Shepherd, you can't leave with the baby!" One of the OB nurses followed her, but Amelia dodged her and quickly got in an elevator, heading straight to radiology.

It didn't take Amelia long to find them, sitting inside a room examining the 3D images followed by two attending of Amelia's department whom no doubt had been paged by Edwards to also give their opinions.

"You guys are seriously going to leave me in the dark?!" Amelia had no idea how absurd she looked, with her entire back exposed, a newborn in her arms, dressed in a hospital gown with an IV access on her right hand "Owen! What is it?"

Owen immediately got up and made Amelia occupy his seat. He didn't need to explain, because Amelia could see by herself.

On the MRI image of Evelyn's brain, a large mass was visible, occupying a large portion of her frontal, parietal and temporal lobes. Owen looked nervously at her, as if depending on Amelia's verdict to finally decide if he should start freaking out or not.

Amelia wanted to freak out too, but she couldn't. Not right now. Not when her husband needed her, and her five children needed her. One of the happiest days of their lives had just been stained by some of the worst news she remembered getting ever since she and Owen had started their lives together.

Very bravely, she turned around to Edwards while her baby was fussing in her arms. Even though her body was drowning in hormones and her entire family was on the verge of falling apart, Amelia swallowed hard and maintained her focus. She had to be logical now, because a lot was at stake there and she couldn't afford any mistakes. She would never tolerate making a wrong decision, not about that.

Examining the scans thoroughly once more, she confirmed her suspicion that had been playing in the back of her mind ever since she had taken the first look at the films.

That was one of the hardest decisions Amelia had ever had to make and she knew it. Taking a deep breath, she gathered all courage she could find and very seriously affirmed:

"Edwards, I think it's very obvious Evelyn has a brain tumor. And it seems like you're gonna have to be the one to operate."

.

.

.

So it looks like some of you guys guessed it right

Next chapter we wrap up this story! Thank you all who've made it so far! Your support is amazing!


	12. Chapter 12

Hi Guys!

So this is it, the final chapter, and I'd like to thank everyone who's stick by me from the start to the very end. Thank you!

 **My Boys – Chapter 22**

Amelia was discharged from OB soon after her mother in law was diagnosed but she stayed at the hospital for the following three days, alternating between breastfeeding, changing and caring for her daughter whilst exhaustively going over the surgical plan with Edwards.

Evelyn Hunt was admitted at the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital's ICU, and her intracranial pressure was being constantly monitored. Owen had been to the hospital every day, dividing his time among his mother, Amelia and the baby, and the boys, who were still staying at Meredith and Riggs's house.

Amelia was trying her best to keep herself together in face of the situation. She hated being at the hospital and away from her home and her children, but that was where she was needed the most, so she could focus on her baby and on her mother in law at the same time.

According to her boss' orders, Edwards had ordered every image scan available and together, they had extensively gone through the plan to remove Evelyn's mass many times over. Amelia had made her former resident memorize every single step of the complicated chain of events that she had carefully elaborated.

Luckily, Evelyn's brain mass was a meningioma, and those usually benign, though they wouldn't know for sure until the biopsy results. Despite that, the tumor was large and was located throughout large portions of the brain. Amelia's biggest fear was that it was compromising Evelyn's cavernous sinus, a structure that if affected directly by the tumor or damaged due to its resection, could lead to disastrous complications.

"Hey," Owen walked into the room, interrupting them. Edwards saw the mixed look of worry and exhaustion on his face and excused herself, giving the couple privacy "How is she?"

"Your mom?" Amelia distractedly asked, watching as he sat down on the small sofa next to where their daughter was deeply asleep.

"No, Megan," Owen blurted out, so tired that it took him seconds to realize what he'd just said "I mean, the baby. I just saw my mom in the ICU, she is groggy from the drugs and had just fell asleep. I meant the baby."

Amelia smiled at him, rejoicing in his devotion. She walked toward him, wrapping both arms around his neck from behind and glanced at their daughter from over his shoulder.

"She is doing just fine," Amelia hands smoothly ran on the back of his neck, gently caressing it "She is a very calm newborn, only cries when she's hungry or needs a diaper change."

"Good," Owen approved with a nod, visibly preoccupied with everything that was going on, but relieved their daughter was doing well. He pulled Amelia by her hand, making her fall on his lap, and instantly involved his arms around her, burying his face in her embrace. She was all the comfort he needed at that moment and the only person he allowed himself to share his feelings and worries with.

"I know it hurts, babe," Amelia kissed the top of his head, trying to be supportive and offer him strength at the same time. It was usually Owen who was the solid rock of their household, but right now he needed her to be his safe haven "It hurts me too. I want her to be fine." She added, referring to his mother.

"I know," Owen lifted his face from her chest and looked up, meeting her eyes. His own were red and filled with unshed tears "Amelia, be honest with me…" Owen took a deep breath, gathering the courage to ask the question he wanted to ask "How much of a chance does she stand?"

Amelia looked deeply into her husband's eyes. She didn't want to lie to him but at the same time, it broke her heart to have to tell him the chances of Evelyn making a full recovery without any complications were close to none.

"I don't know, babe," She took a deep breath and hugged him "It's a very large tumor and it's really spread out. We did all the scans we could have done but won't know much until we're in there."

"I should've…" Owen struggled with his words, consumed by guilt "I should have made her go get checked as soon as I noticed something was off."

"We both know how stubborn she is," Amelia tried to console him. It wasn't his fault and she wouldn't let him think that "Besides, you only noticed it a while ago and this kind of tumor has a very slow growth rate. She probably had it for months or even years. It wouldn't have made a difference."

Owen sighed loudly and hugged Amelia tighter, finding comfort in her presence. Amelia didn't need any words from him to understand how he felt, so she just held him, trying her best to ease his pain.

"I am so sorry that you're being put through this," Owen caressed her cheek with his thumb "You should be at home with our daughter being blissfully happy and sleep deprived only by that, and not by _this_."

"I am exactly where I should be," Amelia said in return, nearly whispering, "We are going to get through this."

Owen knew how hard it was on her too. She was delaying her return home to care exclusively for their daughter to be there for his mother. Amelia hadn't seen their sons in two days and not once had she complained about it to him, even though he knew it was killing her on the inside. And on top of that, she still had to worry about his mother's medical case, studying her files and coming up with a plan to resect the tumor. It was all in her hands and the pressure was too high. And on top of all that, somehow that small, seemingly fragile wonderful woman still found time and energy to comfort _him_. Owen wished she knew how grateful he was and how lucky he felt to have her.

"Today I am going to stop by Meredith's house and I'm going to bring the boys back here for a little while, alright?" Owen kissed her on the cheek, seeing her face light up with the suggestion "I'm gonna bring over some food so we can all have dinner together and they can see their sister for a little bit."

"I love you," Amelia replied with gratitude, wrapping both arms around his neck. He could anticipate her needs without her even voicing them. She missed her sons immensely. "I would very much like that."

They knew Evelyn's surgery was scheduled for the following morning, and since none of them knew what would happen, they both wanted to enjoy that last evening together as the happy family they were.

.

Unfortunately, the morning of the surgery arrived faster than they expected. Amelia got almost no sleep during the evening, partly due to her newborn daughter, partly due to anxiety. Her mind was racing with medical information and she found it hard to keep focused while ideas seemed to pop in her heard by the minute.

She kept mentally reviewing her plan with Edwards over and over, looking for the tiniest detail that could be improved. The previous evening, after the boys were gone and Owen had taken them home, she had gone through Evelyn's file many times over, searching for anything that could possibly be a difference.

At 9 am sharp, Evelyn was prepped and taken to the OR. Amelia had promised Edwards and her husband that she would be quiet and wouldn't interfere, but by 9:10, she was already entering the OR gallery, receiving startled looks from residents and other attendings who had come over to watch the procedure.

"What?" She defensively asked, knowing how unusual she must look in navy scrubs with a baby in her arms "It's a goddamn baby, no one here has ever seen one or what?"

Everyone distractedly avoided her gaze and she took a seat in the front row, watching the entire staff downstairs preparing the field. Edwards' eyes met hers and Amelia nodded gently, letting her fellow neurosurgeon know Amelia trusted her ability to do what needed to be done.

Owen was in the waiting room, anxiously waiting for some news. He could have sneaked to the gallery but honestly he was too nervous to watch. Amelia had only talked to him on the phone that morning, after he had stopped by Meredith's house to drop the kids off and then headed straight to the hospital.

"You shouldn't be here."

Amelia heard her boss' reprimand and looked over her shoulder. Bailey was standing behind her with her typical intimidating gaze. Normally, Amelia would feel embarrassed like a child caught doing something that she shouldn't be, but at that moment she didn't care.

"No one should be here," Amelia sighed heavily, adjusting her daughter in her arms "I should be home with my kids and you should be in your office filling out paperwork." She added with sorrow in her voice. "And Evelyn should be home planning on what to cook for dinner when she came over to visit her new granddaughter."

Bailey took a seat beside her and smiled at the chubby baby in Amelia's arms.

"She is gorgeous," The boss noticed "I can only imagine how hard this is for the two of you." As Bailey began to speak, Edwards gave Amelia one last look and started drilling into Evelyn's skull, quickly removing a piece of it "Is there anything, _anything_ I can do to help?"

"Thanks, Bailey," Amelia was honestly grateful. "But there is nothing much no one can do, really."

Bailey nodded in agreement and looked down into the OR, doing the only thing she could do right now: keeping Amelia company.

The minutes quickly turned into hours and people came and went in the gallery. Amelia didn't take her eyes off the field for a second, closely following what Edwards was doing. Only when the baby started to make a fuss, Amelia realized it was time to breastfeed her.

Bailey thankfully shooed the only two remaining residents out of the gallery, telling them to go help in the ER. They didn't seem happy about it, but quickly obliged, giving her and Amelia privacy. By the fourth hour of the surgery Amelia was already on the edge of her seat, biting the nails of her left hand as Edwards finally reached the most complicated part of their plan. By now, by the aspect of it, Amelia was pretty sure the tumor was benign, but it didn't mean it would be easy to resect it.

As expected, Edwards started to find some trouble along the way. When she looked up at Amelia for help, her boss was already by the intercom, ready to give orders.

" _How is the field?"_ Amelia asked through the device _"I can't see it from up here."_

" _There is a lot of bleeding, Amelia,"_ Edwards voice sounded calm but Amelia could easily spot the desperation hidden in it. She'd trained Edwards and she knew everything there was to know about her fellow _"I don't think we can take this tumor out without compromising her draining veins. It's too intertwined."_

" _You have to do it,"_ Amelia said with a steady voice. Deep down, she was more scared than she had ever been during a surgery, but Edwards had to do what needed to be done. There was no room for failure. _"Edwards, listen to me. You can do this."_

" _Amelia,"_ Edwards was trying to keep her cool but Amelia knew she was at her limit _"Amelia, her carotid is bleeding into the sinus and I can't stop it. It's compressing the nerves around it…"_

" _Don't use an endovascular technique to stop it,"_ Amelia commanded, honestly improvising. That was not in their surgical plan and the realization made Edwards clearly freak out. _"Edwards, listen to me. Clamp it. We're gonna have to bypass it."_

" _What?"_ Edwards looked up at her with shock and disbelief, seeing how serious her boss looked _"Amelia, this is insane. It's never gonna work."_

" _Just do it, Edwards."_

" _It's never even been done,"_ Edwards cried out, frustrated and scared _"How the hell do you expect me to clamp this and bypass the carotid inside the sinus? This is not a sclerotic occlusion, Amelia; there is a tumor here. And it's blocking everything on the way!"_

Amelia couldn't help it any longer. She couldn't sit and wait around anymore.

Turning over to Bailey, she handed her boss the baby and said with unusual calm.

"This is the most important thing of my life," She looked at her daughter so Bailey could understand what she was talking about "I am trusting you with my life so I can try and save my mother in law's."

Bailey nodded in agreement, taking the baby. It was absurd, totally unadvisable, not to mention the potential liability it could bring to the hospital. Amelia was clearly aiming for a procedure that was more a Hail Mary than anything else. But Bailey couldn't stop her, because in her position, if granted with an insane but brilliant idea, she would have done exactly the same.

It took Amelia less than three minutes between the OR gallery and the scrub room.

"I'm getting in through the sphenoid sinus," Amelia said, taking over the surgery as the scrub nurse gowned and gloved her "I need you to hold this and stay perfectly still" She handed Edwards the endoscopic camera "Let's do this."

Amelia didn't know how, but her heartbeat was slow and steady. All the anxiety and fear went away and all that was left was calmness and focus. The work she had ahead was extremely detailed. Not one textbook or medical journal had her plan written. There was no way Edwards could know what she was thinking. That long shot was only inside Amelia's head, and she was the only one who performed the idea that had just popped in her head.

Amelia kept that thought in mind throughout the entire process. She tried not to think about her daughter left upstairs with Bailey, about her boys, who missed their mother so much, or even about her husband who had probably bitten all his nails off in the waiting room. All her mind could think about was Evelyn and the wonderful woman who deserved everything Amelia had to offer to make sure she had the best chance to come out of that with minimal damage.

Two hours and forty minutes later, Amelia made her way to the waiting room, being quickly spotted by Owen. He noticed with awe she was wearing a surgical gown, which could only mean that against all pleas and recommendations, Amelia had scrubbed in the surgery.

And that for one could only mean that something had gone wrong, otherwise Edwards wouldn't need her help.

"Amelia," Owen's voice sounded desperate when she approached him.

"Babe," Her face had dark circles around her eyes and she looked drained. But somehow, Amelia managed to smile when she said "Babe, she is in recovery right now. Your mom made it out of surgery."

Owen let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and hugged her tightly, relieved.

"She's still not out of the woods and I honestly have no idea how she's gonna be when she comes back from the anesthesia," Amelia added, distressed. The worst part was over but they had no idea what was coming next "We sent the material to pathology and all that's left now is to wait until she wakes up."

"Thank you so much," Owen crushed her body against his. "Thank you…"

After a few minutes, when both of them were already calm and had cooled their heads, she knew it was time to move forward.

"Let's go see our daughter," Amelia took his hands in hers, squeezing it tightly "Come on, let's go."

.

Evelyn Hunt was discharged from the hospital five days later, and both Owen and Amelia agreed it would be better if she stayed at their house while she recovered. Their new place was still very messy due to the recent move in, but it was the best they could do to manage everything at the same time.

Owen's mother was lucid and oriented, but she had suffered some memory loss and some of her motor skills were compromised, all due to small bleeds during the surgery. Amelia believed that was a splendid outcome, all things considered. The surgery had been long, extensive and very invasive. It was nearly a miracle she had come out with so little complications.

It was hard balancing the care for her mother in law, the newborn baby, her four sons and the house. Amelia was on maternity leave and Bailey had agreed to give Owen a couple of weeks off so they could put things on track before he went back to work.

"Your daughter has the hunger of four starving grown men," Amelia complained one night, while she picked up toy cars and threw them inside a plastic box while breastfeeding her daughter. It was past ten pm and Evelyn and the boys were asleep.

"She is getting so big so fast," Owen noticed, seeing how their twelve day old daughter was already filling up.

"She has the Hunt genes," Amelia rolled her eyes playfully, noticing that even their daughter was taking after her father, the same as all the boys. That was so unfair in her opinion. "Babe, we really _have_ to pick a name. I know we've had a lot on our plate lately but this is a priority now."

They had been discussing girl names over the past week, but nothing seemed to mutually please both of them.

"Ok, so how about Olivia?" Owen suggested, as he helped her tidy the living room.

"Nah..." Amelia quickly dismissed it. "She looks more like a Grace."

"Grace was the name of my first high school girlfriend who dumped me to be with a college guy."

"Definitely not Grace, then." Amelia laughed at his sudden change of mood when he was assaulted by the unpleasant memory. "Alright, so what?"

Owen looked at her, shrugging. He really had no idea.

"You know what," Amelia looked lovingly at her newborn, who had fallen asleep in her arms, and then to Owen, with a corner smile on her lips "I have a feeling the reason why we're struggling so much to name her is because she sort of has a name already." Owen frowned, his typical lost expression stamped on his face and Amelia proceeded with her explanation "Your mom called her Megan on the day she was born. Robbie called her Megan. You accidentally called her Megan. Maybe it wasn't an accident after all. Maybe it was because that's her name."

Owen was puzzled at first, but he slowly processed it, looking at both his wife and daughter with contentment in his eyes.

"You sure?" He approached Amelia, rubbing her back while looking at their newborn girl. He had loved his sister immeasurably her whole life and it would make him really happy to honor Megan by naming his daughter after her.

"I think it fits her," Amelia said. When Lucas was born, their first thought was to name him Derek but both agreed back then it would be better to use it as a second name instead.

"Megan," Owen repeated with a smile, bending to give his daughter a kiss on the head. He was intoxicated by the familiar baby smell that always seemed to dazzle him "She actually looks a bit like my sister when Megan was a baby."

"Your mom is gonna be happy about this," Amelia said, leaning into him to have Owen wrap his arms around her "Maybe this will make her talk a bit more about your sister? I don't know, I think it would do her good to talk."

"Yeah, I guess," Owen couldn't stop smiling as he kept looking at his daughter, completely fascinated by her delicate little features.

"Babe, we have to decide what we're going to do for Thomas's birthday. We can't have a bunch of kids over with a newborn in the house."

"Maybe we can have a party in the backyard and the baby can stay inside. Or we can just have Kate, Matt and Joey over for some cake." Owen suggested, referring to Jo and Alex's daughter, Arizona's son and the younger Avery child. The three of them were Thomas's favorite friends.

"Yeah, that sounds good," Amelia replied, not able to contain a yawn.

Owen stretched his hands and took Megan, knowing she would sleep for at least a couple of hours before she needed feeding again.

"Let's go to bed," He suggested, knowing the baby would be asleep for at least a couple of hours. "We should get some rest before she decides it's time to party again," He joked.

Amelia followed him upstairs, feeling grateful for Owen. He was an amazing dad and just like the previous times, he would dutifully share with her attending to the baby's needs. Aside from the feeding part, he participated in everything else.

As the weeks turned into months, Evelyn showed promising signs of progress. She would go to physical therapy a few times a week, and when Megan was a month old, Owen went back to work. After a couple of months, Evelyn was able to do everything by herself and not too long after, Amelia could even clear her for driving.

Her biopsy results had come back, showing it was indeed a benign tumor, for everyone's relief. Evelyn would still need close follow up, but for all that was worth, at the moment she was completely cured. Her memory loss had been minimal and wasn't impacting on her daily life. When they told her they'd named the baby after her daughter, Evelyn had been visibly touched and the time she spent at their house only made her grow even closer to all her five grandkids.

With the ever loyal help of Edwards, Amelia published a case report of Evelyn's surgical case and outcome a few months after, when she went back to work. The case immediately drew attention within the neurosurgery community and once again Amelia was called out and invited to give lectures and talk about her new and innovative technique.

.

On a cold December morning, Amelia laughed as she watched her sons run to the backyard, playfully throwing snowballs at each other. Megan was dressed in adorable yellow winter clothes, her cheeks flushed, making her sapphire blue eyes sparkle even more as the baby giggled at the sight of her brothers playing. Her laughter was contagious and Amelia reveled in the scene, feeling blissfully happy, happier than she ever imagined she would ever be.

Amelia didn't know this yet, but in a few years, as she worked and improved her newly described technique, operating on patients from all over the country who came seeking her with similar tumors, she would be nominated for a Harper-Avery award.

And she would win.

That would be a landmark on her professional career, solidifying her edgy new procedure, intimately called " _the ASH"_ by the field surgeons and formally described as the Amelia Shepherd-Hunt method in the latest neurosurgery textbooks.

But none of those thoughts were in Amelia's mind for now. At that moment, all she could think about was her family and how happy they made her.

About half an hour earlier, Owen had gone over to drive Evelyn home. A few weeks ago, after they were sure she was able to take care of herself, she had insisted on going back home, despite Amelia and Owen affirming her that she could live with them. But they were also familiar with her stubbornness, agreeing when she insisted she needed to live at her own house. Evelyn still came over often, and that made them and the kids really happy.

"I was looking all over for you guys inside," Owen came from behind Amelia, startling her. She was sitting by the steps on the back porch, as the kids played outside.

"You scared me," Amelia reprimanded him, recovering from the surprise.

"Isn't it a bit too cold for you guys to be out here?" Owen frowned, but he sat on the step just above Amelia's, putting one flexed leg on each side of her.

Amelia leaned over, resting her back on his chest, feeling the warmth of his body when he embraced her.

"This one has more layers than an onion," Amelia joked, showing Megan to her dad "She looks like an egg roll."

Owen chuckled and bent his neck forward, over Amelia's shoulder. Megan immediately reached out, her round gloved fingers clumsy grabbing her dad's face. When Owen least expected it, the baby involved his nose with her lips, chewing the tip of it with her gum.

He couldn't help laughing at his daughter's clear display of affection, cooing and smiling at him from the minute she had noticed his presence.

"They never get tired, do they?" Owen sighed, with a smile, watching his sons running back and forth in the backyard.

Amelia agreed with a happy nod, adjusting Megan in her arms to get a better view of the boys. Owen rested his chin on her shoulder, affectionately giving her a kiss on the temple before touching his cheek to her own.

"You know what I was thinking?" Amelia took one hand to his hair, gently caressing it while he embraced her tighter "Do you remember when years ago, before we even got married, you asked me how many kids we would have and I said five?"

"I think so," Owen replied with a smile. He had a vague memory of it.

"I didn't mean it back then," Amelia explained, chuckling. "I thought I was just joking but turns out, we actually kept our word."

"We always keep our word," Owen proudly said, burying his face on the curve of her neck to feel her amazing smell.

Amelia placed one of her hands on top of his, intertwining their fingers. From a distance, Thomas and Danny were chased by Lucas and Robbie, the latter armed with two snowballs each.

"I thought I was making some hard choices back then," She confessed "But when I think about it, they were actually so easy to make… I mean, the hardest part of it all was gathering the courage to take action. But making the choice itself was really easy."

Owen was lost.

"What do you mean?" He asked, visibly confused.

"You," Amelia said, like it was obvious. "Choosing you. That wasn't a hard choice to make. It was the right choice all along and I've always known it." She smiled, turning her head sideways to look deeply into his eyes.

Owen was fascinated by the brightness in her eyes and the dimples of her smile. That woman was able to rule his heart and she abused that power, making him the happiest man on Earth. She was the definition of everything that was right and he loved her with every fiber of his being.

"So, you're saying you have no regrets choosing us?" He raised one eyebrow in question, seeing her face light up with laughter. The weather was cold around them, but Amelia felt warm in that tiny bubble of happiness, in the arms of her husband.

"Yes."

"Well," Owen joked, kissing her smiling lips "I'm glad you're smart enough to always make right choices," He teased, referring to himself.

Then Owen remembered something Amelia had said to him long ago, on one of their wedding anniversaries. Thomas had just been out of a complicated surgery and they had barely had any time to focus on themselves, much like the experience they had just had recently, with his mother's surgery and Amelia's devotion to her recovery and their children.

"I for one don't regret one bit," He let her know and then looked at her, brushing his lips on the smooth skin of her cheek. Amelia deserved all the happiness in the world, because she was his happiness. She had given him everything he had ever hoped for: a happy family, with amazing kids and constant laughter and love. He couldn't imagine his life without them, and he couldn't understand how he could have ever considered himself happy before them.

Amelia smiled and leaned back, thoroughly enjoying his presence and his company. He was still her favorite person.

"Don't ever forget this babe, but," And Owen quoted her "If I could choose again a hundred times," He saw Amelia's face lighting up when she recognized the line she had once said herself, "Then a hundred times I'd choose you."

Owen meant every word. And Amelia knew it. Proudly, she reached out for his hand and held it. She was proud of their past and everything that had led them up to that point. She was even prouder of their present, seeing their five beautiful children enjoying the life they had created for themselves.

But what she really looked forward to was their future. Not knowing what was to come really amazed her. She had no idea what was ahead for her but she could see herself being happy with Owen and their kids for years to come. And she could envision more.

More love, more laughter, more time with her family.

More success, both personally and professionally.

More of everything.

And Amelia, for one, couldn't wait.

I hope to see you all again soon!


End file.
